2016 Spring Sale

Floods fail to dampen demand at Coolana

Rain in September is generally always welcomed in southern Australia, but the deluge leading up to the Gubbins of Coolana Angus and Black Simmental sale last Friday had some questioning the validity of that statement. Floodwaters from the Glenelg River bursting its banks at Coleraine and Casterton made road access from the west impossible for prospective clients wanting to attend this Chatsworth sale, but fortunately technology and contacts came to the rescue for two important buyers in particular.

They competed along with 46 other registered bidders to produce what senior Coolana principal Mark Gubbins described as, “clearly our best ever sale result.”

“There have been many cows offloaded in this area due to last year’s big dry and resultant water issues, so to get this result is very pleasing,” he said.

63 Coolana Angus bulls sold to an equal Coolana record of $16,000 and averaged $7024, while 26 XSimm Black Simmentals also sold to a $16,000 top and averaged $5635. Overall the 89 bulls averaged $6618.

The Angus average was up 23% on last year’s excellent result, while the Simmental average saw a 55% lift, plus a $10,000 increase in top price.

Steve McLeod, Macarthur won the bidding dual for Coolana Equator E39-K232 at $16,000 to go home with the bull of his choice at the top price for Angus bulls. Sired by Karoo A241-Equator E39, this impressive 2 year old bull had impressive figures of +87 for 400 day weight, +115 for 600 day weight, +72 for carcase weight, +3.6 for EMD, plus being positive for IMF% and negative for gestation length.

“This bull is the whole package, a wonderful sound and deep bull; just what we needed and had been looking for,” Steve McLeod said.

Pictured with the impressive $16,000 top priced Angus bull, Coolana Equator E39-K232 at last week’s Gubbins of Coolana bull sale at Chatsworth were Max Gubbins Coolana, purchaser Steve McLeod, Macarthur, Mark Gubbins, Coolana and Elders Mortlake’s Hayden Lanyon.

Last year he was underbidder to David and Robyn Roach, Killkenny Pastoral Co, Hawkesdale when they paid Coolana’s previous $16,000 record price. This year the roles were reversed, but the Roach family still made a significant impact. They paid the second top price of $13,000 for Coolana Debonair K830, plus $12,000 for Coolana Equator F10-K742 and $10,000 for Coolana Debonair K852, all at the top end of breed performance levels on Breedplan, putting a lot of heat in to the top end of the draft.

Eleven Angus bulls sold for $10,000 or better with three at the $12,000 equal third top price. The biggest volume buyer was Legh Windsor, Benara, Mt Gambier, with 14 bulls at a $7750 average, including one at $12,000. Legh was one of the buyers held back by floodwaters but rang through to beef consultant Dick Whale who was able to undertake his buying requirements.

Graham Steff, manager for Linlithgow Plains, Dunkeld was the other bigger volume buyer, selecting 10 bulls, 9 Angus and 1 Black Simmental, at a $5450 average, following the purchase of 11 last year.

The first couple of XSimm Black Simmental sales were really “suck it and see” events as regular clients weighed up options, with a few willing to trial them to see if the hybrid vigour advantages matched expectations. This year was a breakout, with two $10,000 plus sales and a big lift in average.

Tom Baker, Woonallee Simmentals, Furner was also held back from getting to the sale by the floodwaters, being particularly interested in the 12 month old bull, XSimm Cowboy Cut L2073C, a standout youngster in this sale that he had seen on video. Tom was able to connect to the conducting sale agents Elders to bid, being pushed all the way to the sale’s equal top price of $16,000.

Sired by CCR Cowboy Cut 5048Z from the dam, Miss Lucky Charm by GW Lucky One, the youngster was in the very top echelon of the breed for key carcase traits and in the top 25% for nearly all traits.

Highlights of these were +2.0 for birthweight, +71.5 for weaning weight, +101.9 for yearling weight, +33.1 for carcase weight, and +0.7 for marbling.

“Being sired by Cowboy Cut, this bull is a complete outcross for our herd and gives us greater depth in our genetic pool. For phenotype, he is a standout with exceptional length, capacity and softness,” Tom Baker said.

Peter Flynn, Waka Pastoral Co, Minhamite paid this section’s second top of $10,000 for the 17 month old XSimm Singletary J2024-L2025C, while Yera Estate gained the absolute steal of the day when one of the two bulls they purchased for $4000 each was the full ET brother to the sale topper.

Michael Woolston, Penola, SA, was able to get through to Chatsworth before the floodwaters cut off access and paid $12,000 for lot 7 bull Coolana Equator K779, while the Kelly family, Mooramook Pastoral, Caramut kicked the sale off on a top note with a winning $11,000 bid on lot 1, Coolana Equator K876, both being single Angus bull purchases and sired by Ardrossan Equator D19.

John McErvale, Branxholme came “just for a look” but was so impressed with what he saw that he purchased six bulls; two Angus and four Black Simmentals at a $4500 average.

Todd O’Sullivan, ‘Jamecca Plains’, Caramut (five bulls ave $5400), David and Nick Allen, Boorook Partners, Mortlake (four bulls ave $5650), and Doug Collins, King Angus Beef, Currie, Tasmania (four bulls ave $8250) were the other very prominent buyers at this sale.

Agents: Elders

Auctioneer: Ross Milne

Thank you to all who came for the sale – we had a great day all around! We will continue to work hard over the summer to bring you the highest quality cattle we possibly can.