Coolana Angus Female Dispersal Sale Report
Huge Coolana dispersal tops at $22,000
Australia’s largest ever Angus dispersal sale at Coolana, Chatsworth produced a highly successful outcome for Mark, Anna, Max and Ben Gubbins and family. This followed on from their Black Simmental dispersal and their Autumn Angus Bull Sale, with 1446 lots being put through the ring at the Coolana Wetlands Complex. This was held over four consecutive days in a hugely successful logistical operation that was so well planned in every detail. The Gubbins family, their dedicated staff and the many Elders agents on hand under the leadership of Elders Mortlake manager Hayden Lanyon should have been very satisfied with their efforts, but probably a combination of relief and exhaustion mixed with excitement would have been their initial reactions.
In this final two day Coolana Angus female dispersal of 1046 lots, 820 sold to $22,000 and averaged $3276 in a 78% clearance. There were 184 registered bidders, plus the Auctions Plus network competing; some bidding on select lots, while others made full use of this rare opportunity to add bigger numbers of top performance cattle with 45 years of dedicated stud breeding behind them.
There were successful bidders from every Australian state except WA. Naturally Victorian buyers were the most prominent with 49 accounting for 55% of the purchases. With two properties on the Coorong, the Gubbins family also has a strong South Australian following, with 21 SA buyers accounting for 25% of the purchases, while NSW provided 12 buyers taking 18% of the offering. Three Queenslanders and one Tasmanian buyer rounded out the purchasers.
The contribution from the Auctions Plus network under the control of Peter Rollason and Anna Adams was very significant, with 97 lots purchased and placing bids on countless other lots.
The Coolana stud herd was commenced 45 years ago by Mark’s parents John and Jenny, with Mark taking over after coming home from Glenormiston College in the mid-1980s. Over the last three decades Mark and Anna grew the herd to its large pre-sale size, with bull sales growing from just a handful up to an industry leading herd selling 285 last year. From a bull perspective they still have one autumn and two spring sales to go with their 2015 spring drop and all their 2016 drop bulls still to sell.
In welcoming everyone, an emotional Mark Gubbins thanked the enormous help he had received from a huge number of people during his Angus ‘journey’, but especially his family, independent beef consultant Dick Whale and stud manager Martin Beltrame.
In opening the sale, Dick Whale said Coolana was a very early adopter of Breedplan, choosing not to show their cattle, but rather just getting on with the job of improving the paddock performance of their cattle for the benefit of their commercial clients. Mark had also introduced some top new genetics into this country from North America with great success, plus serving on the Angus Australia board, including a term as President.
“Mark joined a divided group and was responsible for introducing some much needed change, yet I have not heard one bad word about Mark in that role from other breeders,” Dick Whale said.
To the sale itself, five auctioneers, Ross Milne, Paul Dooley, Ronnie Dix, Nick Gray and Ron Rutledge kept the sale running professionally and as rapidly as needed to get through the required lots, while still respecting the bidders and the time they required to accurately follow the sale.
There were seven separate lines of females or genetic packages to run through, but the highlight line was one of the smallest, this being 17 top performing cows selected by Coolana for their annual embryo transfer program. Sixteen sold for a $5844 average and included the $22,000 top priced female. This was paid by Damian Gommers, Mandayen stud, Keith, SA for Coolana Tearful G216, by Sitz New Design 458N and out of Witherswood Tearful X31, a grand matron in the Coolana herd that had produced many top bulls. With a very impressive phenotype and backed up by equally impressive and balanced Breedplan figures, C. Tearful G216 attracted a lot of pre-sale inspection.
The Branson family, Banquet Angus, Mortlake, fresh off their own successful bull sale that saw their bulls top at $52,000 for a youngster purchased in utero from Coolana’s 2015 female sale, were the underbidders on this top lot. However they were successful in purchasing Coolana Annabel F071 by Ardrossan Equator D19 for the second top price in this run of $12,000, while Mooroobie Angus, Goondiwindi, Qld paid the 3rd top of $8000 for the Te Mania Africa A217 daughter, Coolana Usual G130.
Both Mandayen and Banquet featured very prominently in the offering of PTIC Autumn calving recipient females as well, collectively paying the $4500 top price five times. Mandayen’s three purchases at this price were all from his sale topping donor cow flushed to Tehama Upward Y238, while Gordon Branson purchased four recipients, two from this donor flushed to Musgrove Big Sky and two from the donor Banquet purchased, Annabel F071 flushed to Sydgen Black Pearl 2006, the sire of the $52,000 bull Banquet sold. One each of these two flushes was also at the $4500 top for this section.
Combined with the spring calving recipients offered later in the catalogue, 56 recipients sold for a relatively modest $3071 average, especially considering today’s buoyant industry and these pregnancies being from the elite performers in this great herd.
The sale opening draft was 78 autumn calving females, these all finding buyers, selling to a $12,000 top and averaging a very solid $4846. Damian Gommers was again the buyer of the top lot, Coolana Tearful G129, a full ET sister to his later purchased top priced donor cow, this one AI’d to Ardairnie F96. He also paid the second top of $11,000 for Coolana Nightingale K039 by Silveiras Conversion 8064.
The very large draft of spring calving cows extended over both days of this sale, closing day 1 after 331 lots and then commencing day 2 with the remaining 190 lots. 459 of these 521 lots cleared to a $10,000 top and averaged $3522.
Sam King, Bowmont Angus and trading as Gonlin Pty Ltd, Tatyoon, Vic purchased six of this draft having dispersed his Poll Hereford stud in February. He paid the top price on both days; $10,000 for Coolana Tearful L108 by Sydgen Black Pearl on day 1, and $9000 for the B/R New Day sired Coolana Joy G120 on day 2.
The big draft of 319 heifer calves completed the live cattle offering with only frozen embryos and semen to follow. Ranging from mid-March to mid-October 2016 drop, some of these youngsters suffered at the hands of a declining potential purchaser base, achieving a 60% clearance rate. The older autumn drops were more sought after, with Coolana Nightingale M51 achieving the $9000 top heifer price. This Sydgen Black Pearl daughter was purchased by Peter Collins, Merridale Angus, Tennyson, Vic. Those that found new homes sold quite solidly, averaging $2049. While their genetic quality is unquestioned, there is a time lag before they will return income to their purchasers when compared with PTIC cow options.
In a quest to build up the quality and numbers in their developing Angus herd, Corry’s Glen Angus at Bundook, NSW purchased 30 of these heifers, taking their herd numbers up to 120 head. They topped at $3500 five times and averaged $2217 in very committed bidding. Two semen packages in Booroomooka Bartel K274 and Bald Blair Debonair D34 have them well on the way in their herd improvement plan.
Obviously, to clear this number of lots requires a significant number of volume buyers. There were 23 buyers of 10 or more lots with three standing out for their commitment over the two days.
Perry Gunner and Peter Colliver, Stoney Point Angus, SA were the biggest volume buyers, purchasing 53 lots; 31 on day 1 and following up with a further 22 from the balance of spring calvers and the heifers on day 2. They purchased only from the spring calving cows and heifer drafts. In the cows they paid to $7000 and averaged $4257 for 35, then added 18 heifers to $3000 and at an average of $2083. Their 53 purchases overall averaged $3519. They were prepared to outbid most other bidders in the sale to get their selections, but were not prepared to chase the small percentage of highly sought after females that went over $7000.
Alec Moore, Weeran Angus, Byaduk, Vic and accompanied by his manager Tim Wright was also a major contributor to the sale outcome, bidding strongly throughout the two days. Weeran purchased a total of 47 lots for their 640 cow herd, plus Tim Wright purchased 12 lots on his own account.
“I have worked with Mark for 25 years and we have mutual respect. Coolana is dispersing, but we are going to continue, with this sale presenting a great opportunity to make use of some of the hard work Mark and Anna have put into their herd. We have sold off some under-performing stock and have now been able to replace them with top stock from the heart of the Coolana herd,” Alec said.
Under the good advice and guidance of Dick Whale, Rowley & Tracy Bennett, Fernhill Angus, Corowa, NSW were also right up at the top of the purchasing list, successfully bidding on 46 lots. They paid $4500 each for two of the elite donor cows then paid to $6000 for 44 select lots from the big spring calving cow draft.
“You get very few opportunities to attend a genuine dispersal sale such as this, so we decided we would get fair dinkum. We have built our herd up to 300 breeders and held our first bull sale last year that went well. Through this sale we get to benefit from Mark and Anna’s hard work and now about one third of our herd is strongly influenced by Coolana bloodlines,” Rowley Bennett said.
Not present on day 1, but making a real impact on day 2 was Mark Stoney, Sugarloaf Nominees, Burnook. He purchased 37 of the spring calving cows for their 500 strong Angus herd.
“We were after good genetics to improve our herd and the amount of work the Gubbins family has put into the Coolana herd meant I could buy with full confidence,” Mark Stoney said.
Buying through the Auctions Plus network, Russell and Marnie Kemp, RMK Pastoral, Keith, SA were also big purchasers with 37 lots. They purchased 24 spring calving females then added 13 lots from the frozen embryo and semen packages at the end of the sale. These included the $5500 top priced embryo package of five frozen embryos at $1100 each, by Sydgen Black Pearl 2006 over Coolana Juana Erica F161, the first of the donor females offered and sold to Fox River Angus, Vic for a bargain $2500. Fox River Angus, Axedale, SBC Farms, Mickelham, and Merridale Angus, Tennyson all purchased through Charles L King’s Cohuna based agent, Daryl Collins. Collectively they purchased 50 lots. Ricky Jenkyn purchased 18 for Fox River, Kyle Landy, Echuca purchased 30 for SBC Farms plus one for himself and Peter Collins, Merridale purchased the $9000 top priced heifer.
MJ Gooden, Bendigo was another to crack the 30 lot purchasing barrier with 32 lots, starting with 27 spring calving cows, then adding five heifers.
The Branson family, Banquet, Mortlake accumulated 28 lots; Stephen and Noeleen purchasing half, Gordon Branson purchasing eight and Dianna and her partner Josh Meulendyks purchasing six select lots.
Amy Rush, Rush Bros, Malmsbury and buying through Elders Kyneton’s Dean Coxon purchased 23 lots, while Elders Albury was successful on 22 lots. Bryan Corrigan, Rennylea Pastoral Co, Bowna, NSW purchased 12 top females on the first day then added three semen packages near the end of the sale. These included the $1050 top priced semen package of 30 straws in Connealy Revenue 7392 at $35/straw.
Echoing a constant show of respect for the Gubbins family, Bryan Corrigan said, “Coolana’s type is a little different from ours, but so much hard work has been put into their herd by Mark and Anna that this sale created a wonderful opportunity to invest in their 40 plus years of development.”
At the completion of the four days of sales, Mark Gubbins said, “We tried very hard not to get false or big expectations through this whole exercise. It would have been very easy to flood our own market. This exercise was a huge undertaking by the whole team involved in the sale over many months and in the end it is a huge relief.”
“We kept expectations very basic and in line with commercial reality and we’ve done a lot better than that. It is a very encouraging result and obviously we thank everyone who has supported us over the last 4 days and the last 40 plus years. While it is the end of an era and the closing of a chapter in Coolana’s history, it is also the opening of another one for Max in what will now be a commercially run operation,” Mark said.
Other prominent buyers included Artimore & Partners, Tintinara, SA through Spence Dix & Co’s Jono Spence (15 lots); Longmead Angus, Lucindale, SA (14 lots); Ken Wharton, Murghebolul, Vic (14 lots); Sprys Angus, Mangoplah, NSW (14 lots); AR & RA Beard, Wangoom, Vic (14 lots); Adameluca Angus, Kyneton, Vic (12 lots); Braveheart Pastoral, Gapstead, Vic (11 lots); Garrangreena Pastoral, Penshurst, Vic (11 lots); and Bassano Angus, Narrawong, Vic (10 lots).
Agents: Elders Mortlake
Auctioneers: Ross Milne, Paul Dooley, Ronnie Dix, Nick Gray and Ron Rutledge
Photo Captions:
- Pictured with the $22,000 Coolana sale topping female, Coolana Tearful G216 are purchaser Damien Gommers (3rd right), Mandayen, Keith and his buying agent, Rodney Dix (2nd right), Spence Dix & Co, Keith, SA with Coolana stud manager, Martin Beltrame, Ben, Mark & Max Gubbins, Chatsworth, Vic.
- Pictured at the Coolana Angus female dispersal sale are representatives from the 3 most dominant buying accounts collectively purchasing 146 lots; Peter Colliver & Perry Gunner, Stoney Point Angus, Meningie, SA (53 lots), Alec Moore, Weeran Angus, Byaduk, Vic (47 lots), and Rowley and Tracy Bennett, Fernhill Angus, Corowa, NSW (46 lots).
- Coolana’s Max Gubbins, Chatsworth (left) and Elders Mortlake’s manager, Hayden Lanyon (right) are with very prominent buyers on the second day of the Coolana Angus dispersal; Mark Stoney, Sugarloaf Nominees, Burnook, Vic (37 lots) and Wendy Corry, Corry’s Glen Angus, Bundook, NSW (32 lots).
- Coolana’s Max & Mark Gubbins are with Kyle Landy (centre), Echuca after the Coolana Angus dispersal sale. Kyle purchased 30 lots for SBC Farms, Mickelham, Vic, plus 1 on his own account in strong buying over the 2 day sale.
- Coolana principal Mark Gubbins (right) is with long time Angus associate & friend, Bryan Corrigan, Rennylea Pastoral Co, Bowna, NSW. Bryan purchased 12 top females, then adding three semen packages including the $1050 top priced semen lot.
- Pictured with Coolana senior principal, Mark Gubbins (2nd right) after the Coolana Angus female dispersal sale at Chatsworth are prominent buying representatives, Ricky Jenkyn, Fox River Angus, Axedale (18 lots), buying agent Daryl Collins, Charles L King agency, Cohuna, and Peter Collins, Merridale Angus, Tennyson (top priced heifer at $9000).