High growth Wagyu bulls with exceptional marbling teased out the bids from a conservative cohort of buyers during the Tumbledown Wagyu inaugural bull sale at Glen Innes last Wednesday.
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The sale topped at $28,000 and averaged $12,228 for a 65 per cent clearance from 66 bulls offered while 100pc of six heifer lots sold to $3200.
Queensland graziers Peter and Shari Knudsen, Chinchilla, paid the top money for Tumbledown S7560.
The 457 kilogram bull, 18 months, was by a Tumbledown sire that carried Sumo Cattle Co Michifuku F154 in its pedigree and was from a Tumbledown dam descended from Itoshigenami.
The first-time clients, who run a purebred herd, chose the bull for its genetics and its prime market aspects.
The bull was offered with figures of +2.3 marbling score, +18 for carcase weight and +6.9 eye muscle area.
The Knudsens also paid $24,000 for Tumbledown 22T7813, rising 13 months, station-bred with the same lineage.
This bull had figures of +2.1 marble score, +28 CWT and +1.7 EMA.
The family bought two more bulls with Mitchifuku lineage for $18,000 and $14,000, respectively, with the higher-priced sire, Tumbledown S7557, weighing 487kg at 17 months and +33 CWT and +3.9 EMA.
The Knudson family have been running a Wagyu herd for the past eight years, and grow calves to feeder weight, selling to various feed lots, including Arubial's Lillyvale operation at Condomine, Qld, on the Western Downs.
Three more bulls sold to $26,000 including the yearling Tumbledown 22T7785, 12 months old, station bred but going back to Michifuku F154 on the sire side and dam's lineage to Itoshigenami.
Buyer Jock Fletcher, Walcha, who was the under bidder on the top priced sire, was chasing the combined attributes of genetic, growth and marbling with 22T7785 exhibiting a marble score of +2.3 with +19 CWT and +3.6 for EMA.
"We are looking at Wagyu in our production. We previously bought heifers from Victoria and now we are upping our ante with higher marbling," said Mr Fletcher. "We will use this bull in our AI program and as a back-up with our other bulls. He is younger than I would have liked but he has high marbling figures."
First cross Wagyu/Angus breeders Jamie Pay and Anthony Page, P and P Farming at Inverell, bid up beyond their budget to $26,000 for Tumbledown S7760, 407kg at 17 months. The bull with Michifuku F154 as grand-sire and F126 as Grand dam, has +2 marble score, +26CWT and +4.1 EMA.
"This is our first Wagyu purchase and we were looking for that marble score of +2 and over," said Ms Pay. "We plan to grow out our F1 calves for the feedlot."
Alkeria Pty Ltd at Cobity, Inverell, paid $26,000 for Tumbledown S7616, 517kg at 18 months with +2.5 marble score, +17 CWT and +5.7 EMA. The station-bred bull has F154 as a grand-sire going back to Longford 004 on the dam's side.
Glen Innes agent Terry te Velde purchased the bull and said it will be put to "smart" Angus heifers, with Texas blood, to produce quality F1 calves.
"We were looking for high marbling with +2 minimum and high growth," he said of the purchase.
Andrew and Daniel Malloy, Hillview at Tenterfield, purchased two bulls to $18,000 for Tumbledown S7794. They also purchased full blood heifers to $3200 a head. The family run a herd of 700 pure bred females.
Tumbledown Wagyu at Ashford, operated by the Lewis family with 26 years in the industry, runs 1500 registered full blood breeders across 2630ha of improved and fertilised granite country on their home farm with another 2430ha of leased land.
Their latest consignment of commercial cattle returned an average 8 marble score with most selling to Stanbroke's Sanchoku Wagyu brand.
The sale was hosted at Glen Inness regional saleyard by BJA Stock and Station Agents, Inverell, with Paul Dooley calling the bids. Online action was canvassed through Elite Livestock Auctions.
