Blackrock hits $12,000 with bullish sale

A South West Angus stud has defied tough seasonal conditions to achieve a near-perfect clearance at its annual bull sale, selling to a $12,000 high.

The MacLeay family’s Vasse-based Blackrock Angus stud set a benchmark 92 per cent clearance at its auction at the Boyanup saleyards last Thursday, with 53 registered buyers bidding.

Sixty-five bulls were offered, through Elders, with 60 selling to a top price of $12,000.

The sale returned an average price of $6227/head, which was only $27/head off last year’s average price when 61 bulls sold for an average price of $6254/head.

Blackrock principal Ken MacLeay thanked commercial breeders for investing in the stud’s bulls, given WA’s ongoing dry spell.

“It is hoped Blackrock bull buyers found the most productive Angus genetics to take them forward, and towards better seasonal conditions,” he said.

Blackrock P136, sired by Granite Ridge Kaiser K26, topped the sale after the bull was offered as a stud sire by Elders auctioneer Don Morgan.

Warringah Grazing’s Sam Collard, based at Gingin and Eneabba, secured Blackrock P136 and said the bull was well presented.

“We particularly liked the 200 and 400-day growth figures and the bull’s feet were ideally suited for our country,” he said.

The bull was offered as having the best Estimated Breeding Value Selection Indexes of the catalogue.

He also recorded +59, +107 (top 5 per cent) and +150 (top one per cent) for 200, 400 and 600-day growth rates, with a +18 for docility.

The catalogue offered and sold five Kaiser K26 sons to the highest sire average price of $7800/head, while six sons of Karoo Knockout K176 sold for an average price of $7500/head.

The Knockout K176 sons, displaying their sire’s capacity and muscling, sold to a top of $10,500 to account Bowie Beef, of Bridgetown.

Bowie Beef farm manager Mat Fairbrass was very bullish on K176’s imprint into Blackrock bulls and secured three sons for an average price of $8083/head.

“We will put them over Angus cows to breed replacement heifers and feedlot steers,” Mr Fairbrass said.

Esperance cattleman Graham Darlow was also keen on a K176 son and paid $9250 for Blackrock P61.

The catalogue offered genetic diversity, including seven sons of Clunie Range Legend L348 — known as one of the thickest Angus bulls ever.

With Legend’s pedigree also carrying faultless structure, a son sold to a top of $9750 to Kojonup account NW Knowles and Co, while another son sold for $8000 to Margaret River account JE, EC & BE Franklin.

Two sons of Booroomooka Genius G120 sold for $8000 each, with David Topham, of Cookalabi Angus stud at Coomberdale, selecting his first pick, Blackrock P85, a G120 son.

“This bull had the second-best EBV Indexes in the catalogue, a proven profit maker,” he said.

The other $8000 G120 son sold to Esperance account Epasco Farms.

Knud Nymann, of Wellstead, with six bulls at his second Blackrock sale for an average $6208, was the volume buyer.

“I was selecting bulls to go over the heifers from our 400 Angus herd,” he said.