Coolana XSimm Dispersal Sale Report
Solid start to Coolana’s week of action
Mark and Anna Gubbins and family, Gubbins of Coolana, kicked off their four huge days of cattle sales on the last Tuesday with the dispersal of their XSimm Black Simmental stud. On the last day of summer, while the temperature was high, the sale was a little more moderate with a very solid result rather than a spectacular one, this breed still being a relatively new option for most Australian beef producers.
In an 82% clearance, 221 lots sold to a top of $10,000 and averaged $2967. This gave a return to the Gubbins family for the huge effort they had undertaken in bringing in the genetics from the USA and breeding up the numbers, yet was very affordable for purchasers in today’s buoyant Australian beef industry.
In thanking the crowd that included 66 registered bidders from four states, Mark Gubbins said, “It has been a short ride for us with the Black Simmentals, but an exciting one and we believe they have a big future in this country. While we are dispersing the breeding herd today, we remind those who like what this breed can do, that we still have two bull sales to go; this spring and next year.”
This breed’s advantage was also strongly made by independent beef industry consultant Dick Whale in his short address to open the sale.
“The trials in North America have clearly shown that there is an extra 67kg advantage in red meat yield for commercial producers who crossbred with these Black Simmentals over their Angus. With that advantage, it is only a matter of time before Black Simmentals become very popular in this country,” he said.
A vast majority of the buyers at this sale were already converted to that belief with the strongest buying commitment coming from Peter Howarth and Andrew Chapman, Wombramurra Black Simmentals, Trundle, NSW. Through the eight different genetic descriptions in the sale they purchased 43 females to the overall sale top of $10,000 and averaged $3837 in great buying. Their buying tally comprised 21 of the mated Autumn calving females to the equal top of $7000 for this section, two of the ET donor females to $10,000, three PTIC recipients to the $4000 top, 14 Spring calving females to the $6000 equal top and three heifer calves to $3000.
The $10,000 top priced female was XSimm Miss Lucky One H2128Z by TNT Tanker V263, an outstanding 2012 drop cow for both phenotype and genotype. The three recipients Wombramurra purchased were carrying embryos from her mating with GW Barck Breakout 667Z.
The sale’s second top of $8000 was also for one of the seven ET donors, XSimm Miss Lucky Strike H2023 by GW Lucky Ace 076TS. This was paid by Scott York, Jackson, Qld in one of two select purchases he made.
Joining him as purchasers from Queensland were Owen Berry, Rob-Mar-Lou, Sapphire with 11 females to $5500 and averaging $3636, and Elite Cattle Co, Meandarra, purchasing only one lot from the spring calving females at that section’s top of $6000.
The Auctions Plus network operated by Anna Adams and Anna Holcombe and under the guidance of Peter Rollason provided very strong buying support, purchasing 41 lots in total. The strongest of these was Hicks Beef, Holbrook, NSW with 12 lots. These included all four frozen embryo lots to sell. The top lot of five embryos from the sale topping donor cow, also to Breakout 667Z, went for $600/embryo.
Landmark Albury’s Tom Wilding-Davies was the dominant buyer of the 2016 drop heifers for an undisclosed client. He purchased 34 of the 76 lots to sell in this section to $2500, his client attracted by their breeding and the Johnes MN status. They will go into a commercial crossbreeding program with Angus cattle.
Clayhill, Booral, NSW was another consistent bidder throughout, being successful on nine females to $6000 and at $3667 average.
Kangaroobie, Princetown, Vic purchased 16 lots, being strongest on the Autumn calving females, plus they paid the $5500 top bull price for the 2015 drop bull XSimm Cowboy Cut 2079C.
Brewag P/L, Koetang, Vic was also a consistent bidder with 13 lots. Their purchases included the equal top Autumn calving female at $7000 and the $4000 top priced 2016 drop heifer.
Tim and Henry Cartledge, Lancaster Black Simmentals, Meningie, SA paid the $6000 equal top for the spring calving females in three select purchases. Their purchases also included 16 straws of semen at $40 per straw in CCR Cowboy Cut 5048Z, the sire of the top priced bull in this sale.
There were five South Australian buyers including Boonarkm Angus, Mt Magnificent (six lots) and Magpie Park Simmentals, Penola (four lots).
The top semen lot of 332 straws at $50/straw in Hook’s Beacon 56B was purchased by P & C Jones, Portland, Vic. Their four purchased lots were all in this section of the sale.
The sale of 270 lots was pushed through in just two and a half hours under the professional and efficient auctioneering of guest auctioneer Paul Dooley and Ross Milne, representing sale agents Elders Mortlake.
Photo Captions:
- Pictured after Coolana’s XSimm Black Simmental dispersal sale are senior principal Mark Gubbins, the dominant purchasers of 43 lots to the sale top of $10,000, Andrew Chapman and Peter Howarth, Wombramurra Black Simmentals, Trundle, NSW and auctioneers Paul Dooley and Ross Milne.
- Coolana XSimm principals Mark (2nd left) and Anna Gubbins (right) are with very prominent volume buyers, Tom Wilding-Davies, Landmark Albury (34 heifers to $2500) and Anna Adams, Peter Rollason and Anna Holcombe, Auctions Plus. 41 lots were purchased through the Auctions Plus network.
- Coolana XSimm principal Mark Gubbins (right) is pictured with Queensland buyers Scott York, Jackson (two select lots to sale’s second top of $8000) and Owen Berry, Sapphire (11 females to $5500).
- Pictured in the sale ring is the ET donor cow, XSimm Miss Lucky One H2128Z that sold for the sale’s top price of $10,000 to Wombramurra Black Simmentals, Trundle, NSW.
- Independent Beef Consultant, Dick Whale opens the Coolana XSimm dispersal sale.