BLACK MAGIC: Elders Yea, Victoria, agent Peter Tull, who bought for Phil Webb, Melbource; Lancaster's Tim Cartledge; and Elders auctioneers Jono Spence and Luke Schreiber, with top-price bull, the Black Simmental Lancaster Brigadier, which fetched $9000 at Lancaster Simmental's on-property sale on Friday.

BY TOM DAWKINS - The Stock Journal

THE Cartledge family's New Direction Lancaster Simmentals is well-placed to continue to grow in size and stature if Friday's third annual production sale, near Meningie, is anything to go by.

The top price, average and clearance were all up on last year, an indication of the increasing interest for the stud's solid black, poll Simmental bulls. Importantly, though, despite the growing demand, bulls remained within reach of commercial producers operating on smaller budgets that stud interests in attendance.

A gallery of 32 registered parties was welcomed to the sale, a good balance of return and new buyers, representing much of the South East, with other from Burra, Strathalbyn, Murray Bridge and Kangaroo Island.

But interstate competition provided the real kick in the sale, with eight buyers registered from New South Wales and Victoria.

The highlight of the sale was the continued demand for black bulls, all of them cleared.

The top-price bull Lancaster Brigadier, a rising two-year-old purebred with an even set of estimated breeding value scores, sold to Melbourne real estate agent Phil Webb at $9000.

The lot-two bull was knocked down on P&J Webb's behalf to Elders Yea, Victoria, agent Peter Tull.

Mr Tull, also trading as PJ&KL Tull, Yea, bought the top-price Red Simmental at $8500 for his Victorian Simmental stud Murrinstone, with J&J Devlin, Landmark Inverell, New South Wales, the underbidder.

Repeat clients Ian and Louise Johnson, Amherst, Willalooka, bought five black bulls to $6000, with WR&EM Jackson, Yardookra, Willalooka, securing four black bulls to $5000.

Warradale Partnership, Geranium, also a repeat client and operating through Elders Murray Bridge, secured two black bulls and a red sire to $5250. New client Ashmore Station, Kingston, was also active, adding extra competition at the top-end of the catalogue.

Simon Rowe, Princess Royal, Burra, provided some northern competition, taking home two bulls to $6000.

Of the females, with 21 of the 25 catalogued sold to $3000, thanks to some strong stud interest.

New Direction Black Simmental-infused females were also on offer, with PJ&KL Tull complementing its bull selection with some top-end female picks.

A feature of this year's sale was the shift indoors, with the auction conducted in the comfortable confines of the Cartledge's shearing shed, with bulls and females displayed on video, the cattle yarded adjacent to the shed.

Elders auctioneer Jono Spence said the new format ran smoothly. "The buyers were happy to be inside, particularly given the blustery conditions," he said. "We offered 49 bulls in just 37 minutes and, all-up,
the whole sale went for just over an hour," he said.

"It was a really solid result, one of those sales that was fair for all concerned."

"The stud has been well-rewarded for listening to the commercial producers who want Poll, solid colour bulls with a broad sprectrum of EBVs."