Woonallee Simmental Stud: Bull sells for record high of $160,000

WOONALLEE didn’t just break the record price for a Simmental bull sold in Australia, they more than tripled their own previous record last week, selling a bull for $160,000.

Big bucks: The $160,000 record-breaking Woonallee Los Angeles takes centre stage at the Woonallee bull sale at Furner. Picture: Ian Turner

WOONALLEE didn’t just break the record price for a Simmental bull sold in Australia, they more than tripled their own previous record last week, selling a bull for $160,000.

Tom and Lizzy Baker of Woonallee Simmentals at Furner in South Australia broke their previous high of $46,000, which they set with Woonallee Gold Rush G061 in 2013.

This time around the record breaker was Woonallee Los Angeles, an 18-month-old polled traditional Simmental sire, by Glen Anthony Y-Arta AY02 and out of Woonallee Kathie B111, and weighing 1030kg.

Signing the cheque for the bull, now one of the most expensive of any breed sold in Australia, was Brett Nobbs of Nobbs Cattle Company at Duaringa, Queensland.

The underbidders Doug and Jan Bradshaw of Blue Dog Simmentals at Wandoan also hailed from Queensland and were operating via the Elite Auctions online systen.

Mr Nobbs bought at Woonallee for the first time at the female sale in late 2015, paying $16,000 for a pick of the entire 2014 heifer drop, having decided to add a Simmental operation to his well-established Brahman herd.

Having also purchased the pick of the entire 2016 heifer drop for $17,000 at the Woonallee female sale, also held last week, Mr Nobbs hopes to market his own Simmental bulls by 2019.

“I see a lot of beef bulls, and this bull is extraordinary; a once in a lifetime bull,” he said. “With that weight for age, his softness, skin, fat cover, performance levels and pedigree, he’s got it all, and also with such an amazing temperament.

“I’ve only ever seen one other bull like that before, which was a Brahman imported from the US. I’m confident this bull will be a game and breed changer.”

The bull will be collected for export semen sales and limited packages may also be offered in Australia.

Los Angeles wasn’t the only record breaker at Woonallee’s sale on Thursday, with a new high also set for a Black Simmental bull in Australia.

NSW breeder Peter Howarth of Wombramurra Black Simmentals at Nundle paid $32,500 for Woonallee Luxembourg, after paying $27,000 for a second black sire, and $12,000 for Woonallee’s top- priced Black Simmental female.

Woonallee held the previous Black Simmental record of $27,500, set at their 2016 sale. This year they cleared all 102 traditional, red and Black Simmental and SimAngus bulls to average $9759, with buyers from every state except Western Australia.