Lone Red Senegus bull at Senepol sale attracts top price

The 18-month-old bull, Namoona Tarriaro, sired by Boomerang Park Shane Webcke, out of Namoona Hazeldean, was bought by Jon and Rosemary Greggery, JRG Grazing, Gayndah, for $7500.

With 77 per cent Senepol and 25 per cent Angus, he was described as "an absolute cracker" with the heaviest weaning weight in his group.

Weighing 626 kilograms, Namoona Tarriaro had a P8 and rib score of 10 mm and 7 mm respectively, an eye muscle area of 128 sq cm, a scrotal circumference of 36.5 cm and a 5.3 per cent intramuscular fat (IMF) scan.

Mr Greggery, who bid online, said he bought the only Red Senegus bull in the sale because he had a red Santa Senepol mixed herd.

"And even though he's only a youngster, he will slot in pretty well with what we're trying to do here," he said.

The Greggerys have a commercial breeding operation of 200 breeders, turning off about 180 weaners a year through the saleyards to buyers inTaroom and west of Gayndah.

Mr Greggery said he introduced Senepols in 2018 to his Santa herd "to get rid of the horn and the hair".

"And we were looking for a more medium sized beast and we thought the Senepol could help us there which it has so we're pretty happy with the cross," he said.

The Red Senegus was sold by Col, Janelle, Blair and Ashleigh Godfrey, Namoona Trig Senepols, Casino, NSW, who had 28 lots for sale and sold 19 for an average of $5315.

The other vendor, Gary and Leanne Porter of Silverleigh Senepols, Kingsthorpe, sold two of four bulls in the sale to average $5000/head.

Mr Godfrey said 21 bulls sold out of the 33 bulls offered, for a total clearance rate of 62 per cent and average of $5285.

He said the sale was fairly tough and not as good as they had hoped, but was slightly better than last year.

"But we're very appreciative of those who bought and bid," he said.

"Last year, we got more higher prices, but we got a lower clearance."

Mr Godfrey said this year's sale was good enough, however, that it was worth coming back again next year.

A 35-month Senepol bull valued at about $7000 was offered by the Godfreys in a drawer for bidders and buyers. It was won by Mark Barry of Koumala.

Mr Godfrey, who has been breeding Senepols for 18 years, said he thought there was growing interest in the breed.

"But you have to work on it as historically with any breed that was new a number of years ago there were a few very secondary cattle out there - and you've got to overcome some of that (negativity), but we believe we're doing it," he said.

"We're selling a pretty decent style of cattle," he said.

Mr Godfrey said he was attracted to Senepols because they were Bos Taurus, tropical and one of its derivative breeds was the British Red Poll which his family had bred for years.

"They offer a unique set of properties - most people are using them for cross breeding and because they're largely unrelated to other breeds, you maximise your hybrid vigour," he said.

There were six registered bidders at the helmsman sale on site, with buyers from Sarina, Koumala, Rolleston, Marlborough, Casino, Gunalda, Gayndah and Emerald.

Last year, the top price of $7000 was achieved five times and the clearance rate was 51 per cent.

In 2023, the Godfreys sold 11 Senepols and five Senegus bulls for a $5875/head average, while the Porter family of Silverleigh Senepols offered four purebred Senepols, selling one for $5000. Overall, 17 bulls sold for an average price of $5,823.