North Queensland Register

An outstanding line up for Ascot's annual bull sale

Angus advantage: The Wedges will offer 62 Angus bulls comprising 45 rising two year olds and 17, 16 to 18 month olds. Many bulls in the draft will suit heifer joinings.
Angus advantage: The Wedges will offer 62 Angus bulls comprising 45 rising two year olds and 17, 16 to 18 month olds. Many bulls in the draft will suit heifer joinings.

Story sponsored by Ascot.

An outstanding, 100 per cent polled line-up of 124 Angus and Charolais bulls have been selected by Ascot stud principals Jim and Jackie Wedge for their 13th annual Spring Sale taking place on-property at North Toolburra, Warwick, on Friday, September 18, from 1pm.

The Wedges will also hold an open day on August 27 between 10am and 3pm and say they're excited about the state of the cattle industry at present.

"It's currently in a great space, with a lot of people coming out of the drought, and with demand and good prices looking like remaining a constant for the foreseeable future," Mr Wedge said.

He said they're very pleased with the draft of polled bulls they've selected for the Spring Sale.

"Our offering will consist of 62 Angus bulls comprising 45 rising two year olds and 17, 16 to 18 month olds, as well as 62 Charolais bulls consisting of 42 two year olds, and 20, 16 to 18 month olds," he said.

"In this draft are close to 40 bulls that should suit heifer joinings, and 31 homozygous polled Charolais bulls."

PP presence: Included in the 62 polled Charolais bulls selected for the sale are 31 homozygous polled bulls.
PP presence: Included in the 62 polled Charolais bulls selected for the sale are 31 homozygous polled bulls.

Mr Wedge said all bulls selected for the sale were fresh off six months on pasture and have grown out well since photos and videos were taken in July.

"They're now on a mild sale preparation ration, and will exhibit their full genetic potential by sale time."

He said the sale bulls have been raised in Queensland for Queensland conditions.

"MSA carcase focus, fertility, high weight for age, fleshing combined with polledness and structural integrity equals the Ascot balance we strive for in the bulls we produce," he said.

Mr Wedge said the sale will be a live auction on-property which is being interfaced through the AuctionsPlus online platform, with live bidding, video and audio available.

"As well as photos we will have video of every sale bull available on our website and on AuctionsPlus, to make remote bidding easier.

"Following on from our sale in April, which ran very smoothly, the September sale will proceed following Covid-19 protocols."

An outstanding line up for Ascot's annual bull sale
An outstanding line up for Ascot's annual bull sale

He said Ascot is a tested Johnes J Bas 7 herd.

"The majority of our bulls are eligible to go anywhere within Australia, including Western Australia. Please refer to the sale catalogue for each bull's status," he said.

All bulls in the sale are:

  • Independently assessed for structure and temperament by cattle assessor Jim Green
  • Vet checked and semen tested by Ced Wise Veterinarians. a bull breeding soundness certificate is issued with each bull
  • Blooded for tick fever
  • Vaccinated for 3 Day Sickness, 7 in 1, pestivirus, botulism and vibrio
  • Ascot is a tested pesti-free herd
  • All bulls are scanned for fats, EMA and IMF, scrotal size as yearlings, and fully Breedplan recorded
  • DNA sire verified
  • Scanned again prior to sale for fat cover, EMA and IMF, and scrotal size
A successful sale: Andrew Murray of Kindee Pastoral Co and Ascot stud principal Jim Wedge at Kindee's annual weaner sale, Roma, where they achieved great results.
A successful sale: Andrew Murray of Kindee Pastoral Co and Ascot stud principal Jim Wedge at Kindee's annual weaner sale, Roma, where they achieved great results.

Ascot has helped many producers across the country improve both the genetics of their herd and their bottom line. One such example is Kindee Pastoral Co.

Kindee Pastoral is made up of two properties in Central Queensland -15,000 acres at Cowangah, Taroom, and 25,000 acres at Muya, Injune - and in recent years they've started using Ascot Angus genetics.

Co-owner Andrew Murray says he has been most impressed with the gains they have achieved.

"The Angus bulls are very good for our first calving heifers," he explained.

"Ascot Angus put the time and resources into their genetics and are a bit more intuitive and innovative with their breeding than others. They buy a lot of outside genetics and they like to keep ahead of the game."

On June 30, for the first time in Kindee's history, cattle were sold at the Roma saleyards in combination with AuctionsPlus. A total of 1400 Angus/Santa/Charolais weaners were sold, with steers averaging 450c/kg and heifers 420 c/kg.

"We had 800 steers and 600 heifers," Mr Murray said.

"The heifers weighed an average of 290kg and the steers 310kg... We turned grass into meat and meat into money."

Another satisfied customer: Maree Duncombe from Conondale Station says Ascot's Charolais bulls have been key to her success.
Another satisfied customer: Maree Duncombe from Conondale Station says Ascot's Charolais bulls have been key to her success.

Another producer who says they have benefited greatly from Ascot's genetics is Maree Duncombe from Conondale Station.

A regular at the winner's circle at Gympie's annual weaner sales, Maree Duncombe attributes the success of her Charbray cattle firmly back to the Charolais genetics she sources from Ascot stud.

Each year, the young breeder travels to Warwick Station and returns home with at least two Charolais bulls. These are used over her herd of 350 Brahman females to produce about 300 Charbrays annually.

Ms Duncombe says she switched the focus from growing out steers to producing top quality weaners that are primarily sold to commercial breeders.

Managing cattle on her own, makes temperament and the homozygous poll gene the key traits she looks for in Ascot bulls. The sires from the stud deliver every time.

"At a bull sale I don't really look at the objective measurements because I know Ascot is breeding for the key things I am looking for," she said.

"The Ascot bulls acclimatise very well to my high rainfall environment. I can put them to work straight away."

Ms Duncombe said she would keep using Ascot's Charolais genetics in the future, citing her success in the market. Conondale has won the champion pen of heifers for the past three years at the annual Gympie weaner sale.

This year, they received a top price of almost $1300/head, the best average she has ever achieved. A line of heifers weaned during the 2019 winter drought reached a top price of $1400.

An outstanding line up for Ascot's annual bull sale
An outstanding line up for Ascot's annual bull sale

The Wedge family are offering free delivery of bulls purchased at their upcoming sale to many major centres in Queensland and New South Wales. Please check the catalogue for details.

From 2021 onwards the Wedges will no longer be holding their Autumn sale in April. They'll instead focus on providing a larger sale team for the September Spring Sale annually.

The catalogue will be available online from August 18, with supplementary sheets to be up on the Ascot website a week prior to sale day. Please contact the Wedges or your preferred sale agent if you'd like a hard copy catalogue mailed out.

Inspections of the sale draft will be available between 10am and 3pm on August 27 as well as from 10am on sale day. Private Inspections are welcome prior to the sale via appointment.

For enquiries contact Jim Wedge on 0419 714 652 or jim@ascotcattle.com.au, and sale agents Elders, Colin Say & Co, Nutrien, or Mike Wilson Stud Stock & Blood Stock.

Story sponsored by Ascot.