Past Sale Results
$11,000 top for Stonedale Bulls — Feb 2018
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average | |
2yo Bulls | 34 | 33 | $11,000 | $6,735 |
1yo Bulls | 34 | 23 | $8,750 | $4,837 |
Total | 68 | 56 | $11,000 | $5,955 |
Kim and Lex Gandy offered a total of 68 bulls — 34 rising two-year-old M bulls and 34 yearling N bulls.
Mr Gandy said he was pleased with the M bull’s average price of $6735/head for 33 sold, but was concerned the N bull values, based on their quality, fell below expectations at $4837/head for 23 sold.
“It is yet to determine if yearling bulls will become more accepted in WA,” he said.
What did sell at the Gandys’ remake sale sold very well, particularly when the Phillips family, of Manjimup, paid the $11,000 top-price for Stonedale Bushranger M450.
The 902kg 23-month-old bull, sired by Diamond Tree Bushranger K92, was selected for its visual appeal, with Lyndsay Phillips keen on its fleshy outlook.
“Representing new blood, the bull will be used over a select group of cows,” she said.
The Phillips family also paid $6000 and $5500 for two other sons of K92 and paid $4000 for a Yearling bull, sired by KCF Bennett Southside. Mal Phillips said the yearling was well put together and had an Estimated Breeding Value of +110 for 400-day weight (top 1 per cent).
Another 23 month-old Bushranger son sold for $10,000 to DJ & MDJ Milne, of Esperance, while Landmark Manjimup secured a SAV Prosperity 9131 son for $9000.
With new sire Tour of Duty 177 also well represented in the catalogue, account DR & DJ Roche, of Pemberton, paid $10,750 for the fourth son off the rank (lot 10), Stonedale Tour of Duty M221.
The 890kg bull recorded EBVs of +54, +95 and +125 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights (top 10 per cent) while in the top 1 per cent for Retail Beef Yield.
Representing the Roche family, Lance Ockwell said the bull would be used to breed replacement females in a pure Angus herd.
Mr Ockwell also acquired a yearling bull, Stonedale Tour of Duty N15, for $6000, to be used over heifers. The first Tour of Duty bull offered for sale, lot 2, was secured by long-time repeat buyer John Omodei, of Pemberton, for $10,250.
Mr Omodei said he selected the bull for its squareness and good figures and the bull would go to work in his family’s herd of 250 Angus breeders.
With the $19,000 record top-priced Angus bull, Diamond Tree Mentor K179, were buyer Trish Phillips, of Manjimup, Diamond Tree co-principal Kim Gandy, of Manjimup, Lyndsay Phillips, Elders auctioneer Nathan King, Mal Phillips, and Landmark agent Jock Embry.
• • •
Diamond Tree shines to $17,000 — Feb 2017
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
81 | 80 | $17,000 | $9,003 |
The Gandy family closed the books on their annual Diamond Tree Angus Bull Sale last week with a top price of $17,000.
The sale had a record average price of $9003, an increase of $1133 on last year’s result. The final sale, held on-property at Manjimup, attracted 80 registered buyers, who bought all but one of the 81 bulls on offer. Stud principal Kim Gandy said he was thankful for the support of buyers over the years.
The sale started with competitive bidding on the top lots, with lot 4, Diamond Tree Prosperity L240, selling for the $17,000 top price to repeat buyer Jordan Swainston, of Albany. “I selected the bull for its growth rate and milk figures,” Mr Swainston said. Mr Gandy offered SAV Prosperity-sired bulls for the first time this year. Prosperity L240 weighed in at 1032kg and recorded Estimated Breeding Values of +55, +98 and +135 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, respectively, all in the top one to 5 per cent of the breed.
Also taking an interest in Prosperity genetics, Lisa Roche, of DR & DJ Roche, of Pemberton, paid $16,500 for Diamond Tree Prosperity L156. Ms Roche and her partner, Lance Ockwell, bought five bulls for an average of $12,350.
Jarrod Carroll, of Rayview Park, Albany, bought Diamond Tree Ten X L140 for $15,000. The 7.5-frame bull weighed 1022kg and was sired by AAR Ten X 7008. It will go to work over Angus cows to produce replacement females and potentially herd bulls. Mr Carroll said the bull was his first pick, because of its big frame and good milk figures.
Mal Phillips, of WD & IM Phillips and Sons, Manjimup, bought five bulls to a top price of $13,250 and average of $10,500. Mr Phillips and his wife, Trish, and daughter, Lyndsay, run 1000 Angus cows. They plan to mate another 250 heifers this year, with steer calves sold to feedlots and backgrounders. Lyndsay said they were pleased with the new genetic selection at Diamond Tree and the bulls would play a part in expanding the Phillips’ herd.
With the $17,000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Prosperity L240, are Landmark agent Darren Chatley, Diamond Tree principal Kim Gandy, buyer Jordan Swainston, of Pemberton, and Elders auctioneer Nathan King.
• • •
Diamond Tree sparkles to $19,000 — Feb 2016
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
75 | 70 | $19,000 | $7,870 |
An Angus spectacular that glistened was the best way to describe the Diamond Tree annual bull sale held last week at the Gandy family’s Manjimup property.
Stud records were broken many times over, with the largest offering yet of 75 bulls, reaching a stud record top price of $19,000 and a stud record average price of $7,870.
With only one more bull sale to go in 2017 for Diamond Tree co-principal Kim Gandy, he is truly making a mark in the industry as he contemplates retirement. Mr Gandy sold the stud prefix with 300 registered females back in October and will wrap up his career as a seedstock producer next year. “I was extremely pleased with the support over the years, looking forward to what next year brings,” he said.
Many repeat buyers were on hand to bid on the quality at the sale, including the Phillips family of Manjimup, who secured the sale-topper Diamond Tree Mentor K14. The 820kg bull was at the top of their list, according to Lyndsay Phillips. “He is a big sirey type with a good temperament, structurally correct and will go over a select group of cows,” she said. “He represents a new bloodline and has good growth Estimated Breeding Values as well as carcase eye muscle area and with a moderate birth weight.”
The Phillips family run 850 cow breeders and have 150 heifers and are wanting to increase cow numbers to 1000 and sell calves mostly to feedlotters and supply heifers to commercial producers. They bought three other bulls for $8,000 and two at $7,000 each.
The $15,000 second top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Bartel K34, sold to Joe Bendotti of Pemberton. The Bendotti family mostly produce avocados and also run 100 head of Angus breeders, a win-win with both commodities doing well in the market place.
Another Mentor son, DT K161, sold for $14,000 to Anthony McDonald of Kuloomba Farming, Esperance, a first-time buyer at the sale. Mr McDonald, who was the under bidder on the top-priced bull, said he was moving his herd of 1200 breeders back to Angus and was selecting for balanced EBV figures and would put the bull over cows that were third calvers. “I sell calves into the feedlots before the beef ends up at Woolworths,” he said.
FV Hortin & Sons of Albany paid $13,500 for a 1036kg upstanding, 7.9 framed bull catalogued as lot one. Sired by Dunnon Gabba, the massive bull kick-started a sale that had competitive bidding from beginning to end. The Hortin family also bought bulls for $9,750, $9,250 and $8,250.
Account DR & DJ Roche, of Pemberton, paid $11,250 for DT Mentor K120, while RJ & JD Reed, of Albany, paid $10,750 for DT Bartel K22 and account Glenbrae Pastoral paid $10,500 for DT Bartel K141.
G & N Wilkinson, of Badgingarra, paid $10,250 for DT Mentor K195.
With the $19,000 record top-priced Angus bull, Diamond Tree Mentor K179, were buyer Trish Phillips, of Manjimup, Diamond Tree co-principal Kim Gandy, of Manjimup, Lyndsay Phillips, Elders auctioneer Nathan King, Mal Phillips, and Landmark agent Jock Embry.
• • •
Diamond Tree bull fixture glitters as top hits $15,000 — Feb 2015
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
59 | 59 | $15,000 | $6958 |
Genetic variation was on offer at the Diamond Tree Angus bull sale last week at Manjimup and buyers responded.
This resulted in a stud record average price of $6958 for the total clearance of 59 bulls, which was a $1472 a head increase on last year when 54 bulls sold to an average of $5486.
Landmark auctioneer John Wirth called out bids to start at $7000 — "right on value". "It was a tremendous line-up with new bloodlines," he said.
Diamond Tree principal Kim Gandy said the diversity of his sale bulls made all the difference in a beef market that was very buoyant. "We aim to add value to our clients who require bulls that can produce the goods," he said.
Repeat buyer Davie Milne, of Parmango Farms, Esperance, paid the $15,000 top-price for Diamond Tree Evident J9, sired by Dunoon Evident E614. The 1050kg two-year-old bull, with a 6.6 frame and 44.5 scrotal, impressed the Milne family for its weight for age, balanced EBV figures and eye muscle area (+9.4). The bull recorded EBVs of +53, +96 and +127 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights. "We run 300 breeders and are selling 500kg calves at 7 months," Mr Milne said. "Getting calves off early pays dividends."
The top-valued bulls were spread right through the first half of the catalogue with lot 18, Diamond Tree Bartel J22, sired by Aryvale Bartel E7, selling for $13,500 to Glenridge Park, of Mt Barker. Brothers Andrew and Scott Slade said the bull was their first pick and would go over a nucleus of Sussex cows to produce F1 herd bulls for their family's 700 mixed cow herd. "The outcross sire will add growth to our calf production," Andrew said.
The $12,000 third top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Rito J87 was bought by regular buyers — the Phillips family, of Manjimup. Mal Phillips said the bull represented outcross genetics to breed herd bulls. "We run a herd of 900 Angus breeders and are increasing numbers," he said. "The beef market should remain good, if not better."
Account F & V Hortin, of Torbay, paid $10,500, $10,000 and $9500 for Rito, Evident and Bartel-sired bulls gaining a good genetic variation.
Commercial cattle producer Rayview Park also was in on the diversity paying $9500 for a TC Total sired bull, Diamond Tree J132, and Diamond Tree Performer J232 for $6000.
The Davies family, of Manypeaks, paid $10,000 for Diamond Tree Rito J156, $8000 for Diamond Tree Old Post J260 and $6000 for Diamond Tree Hoover Dam J142. "We are increasing cattle numbers — beef farming is a good way of life," Ross Davies said, who is in the process of handing over the running of the farm to son Joe. "Our past Diamond Tree bulls have performed very well."
Volume buyer and Albany cattle producer Barry Panizza bought four bulls to a top of $8500 and average price of $6875, with each bull representing a different bloodline.
Commercial beef producer Davie Milne, of Esperance, paid $15,000 for Diamond Tree Evident J9.
• • •
Diamond Tree bull tops sale at $10,000 — Feb 2014
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
57 | 54 | $10,000 | $5486 |
After a record-bursting sale last year, the Diamond Tree Angus bull sale price average eased back last week at Manjimup.
Elders and Landmark put up 57 bulls, selling 54 for an average price of $5486, as compared to last year when 52 sold for the record $6284 average. Competitive bidding had the first 20 lots well over the record average ($6693) but the rolling figure fell as buyers became more selective towards the end of the catalogue. The Gandy family offered five extra bulls this year with numbers of registered buyers continually increasing over the years.
This year the list climbed to 55 registered bidders. Repeat buyer Mal Phillips, of WD & IM Phillips & Son, Manjimup, bought the $10,000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Performer H84. The 996kg bull had a frame score of 7.7 and recorded EBVs of +50, +87 and +106 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights. Mr Phillips said the bull represented an outcross sire for his family's 900 cow herd and would be used over their stud and commercial breeders. The bull was sired by US Angus sire KCF Bennett Performer.
The $9500 second top-priced bull was secured by Landmark agent Greg Neaves on behalf of repeat buyer GM Wilkinson. Mr Neaves said the 898kg bull, which was sired by US bull Sydgen Trust, represented outcross genetics for the buyer.
Another Performer son, Diamond Tree Performer H25 was sold for $9000 to repeat buyer Davy Milne, accompanied by son Martin, of Parmango Farm, Esperance. Martin said he selected on general conformation and EBV figures, and that past Diamond Tree bulls performed very well in their herd.
Landmark agent Leon Giglia secured an $8750 bull sired by Trust for Rayview Farms, of Albany. Account Twin Peaks, of Manjimup, also bought a Trust bull for $8500, while Farris Family Trust paid $8500 for a Sydgen CC&7 son. Woogenellup producers Capecup Grazing paid $8000 for a SCA 3299 Of Ideal son.
With Diamond Tree Performer H84 are stud principal Kim Gandy, buyer Mal Phillips and son Dean, Landmark agent Darren Chatley and Elders agent Orest Luzny.
• • •
Diamond Tree average hit for six — Feb 2013
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
52 | 52 | $13,000 | $6284 |
Defying the averages, the Diamond Tree Angus bull sale cleared all 52 bulls offered, achieving a $13,000 top-price and a $6284 stud record average.
The sale's remarkable $284 increase per head on last year is in stark contrast to the majority of bull sales held this season. Landmark auctioneer John Wirth said it was the most buoyant sale so far this year. Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts said the Gandys put up an excellent presentation, with tremendous carcase shape and figures to match. "The sale was a credit to their breed policy," he said.
The $13,000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Performer G145, was secured by Arizona Farms, of Lake Grace. Landmark agent Bob Pumphrey was acting on behalf of the Bairstow family, of Arizona Farms, when he outbid DJ & MDJ Milne, of Esperance. Mr Pumphrey said Arizona had bred some outstanding female progeny of Diamond Tree Performer E101, the sale toppers sire. "The genetics are proven," he said. The 912kg bull recorded a +56, +108 and +125 for 200, 400 and 600 day weights and an EMA of +6.2.
The $9500 second top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Old Post G35, sold to Joe Bendotti, of Pemberton, who also paid $5500 for another Old Post son.
The run on the new Double AA Old Post Bandolier sons began with lot 3 selling for $9250 to Sam Collard, of Warringah stud, Gingin. Mr Collard said Diamond Tree Old Post G91 was a free mover and had good shoulder setting. When Mr Roberts called for bids, he said the bull had it where it counted with a +97 for 400-day weight.
Alastair Murray, of Tullibardine stud, Albany, was looking for a moderate bull with plenty of muscle when he secured Diamond Tree Performer G199 for $8750.
F & V Hartin & Sons, of Torbay, secured two sons of Nichols Quiet Lad T9 for $8000 and $7250, and one son of Diamond Tree Right Time D46 for $7500.
Buying four sons of different sires, Mal Phillips, of Manjimup, paid $7000 for an Ideal son, $6500 for a son of Quiet Lad, $6500 for a Frontier bull, and $5500 for an Old Post son. ''All four bulls were outcross genetics for our herd," he said.
After attending the sale for the first time last year, ARW Nominees, of Busselton, were back buying two bulls for $7500 and $6250.
Diamond Tree stud principal Kim Gandy said it has taken a lot of diligent work to get established with such a dynamic sale result. "We take great pride knowing our bulls are going to work in productive herds and the result is those producers coming back to the sale year after year," he said.
With the $13,000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Performer G145, was Elders' Orest Luzny, Landmark's Bob Pumphery and Diamond Tree Angus stud principal Kim Gandy.
• • •
All go for best average ever — Feb 2012
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
52 | 52 | $9000 | $6000 |
"Best average ever, and a total clearance to boot," was how Diamond Tree stud principal Kim Gandy summed up his family's Angus bull sale held last week in Manjimup.
The Gandy family cleared all 52 bulls offered for an average price of $6000, or a huge $985 per head increase on last year when 51 sold for an average price of $5015. The catalogue featured seven stud-bred sires which represented all but one of the 52 bulls offered. "We have given the stud's depth of breeding a real test this year by offering mostly bulls by home-bred sires," Mr Gandy said.
The $9000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Eclipse F77, was sired by Diamond Tree Eclipse C157 which goes back to Kenny's Creek Eclipse W111. Elders auctioneer Dennis Roberts introduced the bull to the sale ring as the heaviest bull in the sale at 1060 kg.
The big-framed Angus was bought by WD & IM Phillips, of Kanangra Grazing, Manjimup, who also secured another son of C157 for $6750. Mal Phillips and son Dean and daughter Lyndsay selected the bulls for two different roles. "Both will be put over a nucleus of 80 Kanangra Angus cows to breed commercial bulls for either pastoral cattle or the family's local beef herd," Mr Phillips said. "We selected for big frames, large eye muscle area (EMA) and high birth weights." The sale topper recorded EBVs of +37, +70 and +89 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and an EMA of +3.1, while the Phillips' other bull had a birth weight of +8.6 and EMA of +4.9.
There were 13 bulls in the sale sired by C157, of which six were sold for $7000 or more. Mr Gandy said the proven sire had excellent EBV figures of +7.0 for birth weight, +54 for 200-day weight, the latter being in the top one per cent for the breed. "The bull is also well above average for all $Indexes," he said.
Another popular sire was Diamond Tree Equator C316, which goes back to BT Equator 395M. A son of C316, Diamond Tree Modest F99 sold for the $8000 second top-price to Cays Investment, of Bridgetown. First-time buyer of Diamond Tree bulls, Angus Youngson, of Cays Investments, said he would cross the bull over Murray Grey cows. "We run a breeding herd of 80 which includes some Diamond Tree Angus heifers," Mr Youngson said.
The Carroll family, who trade as Rayview Park, of Mt Barker, bought three bulls, each of different Diamond Tree sires. Repeat buyer Jarrod Carroll paid $7250 for a C157 son, $7250 for a C316 son and $4500 for a Diamond Tree Right Time D201 son. "The outcross genetics will go over some of our mature cows in the family's 750 pure Angus herd," Mr Carroll said.
Another son of C157 was bought by DJ & MDJ Milne, of Cundinup, for $7250.
New buyer ARW Nominees, of Busselton, bought two sons of C157 and one son of Diamond Tree Right Time D210 for $7000, $6250 and $5250 respectively. Elders agent Terry Tarbotton said the bulls would be used in ARW’s 200 pure Angus cow herd.
FV Hortin and Sons, of Denmark, bought three bulls for $7000 each. Also securing $7000 bulls were Brett Chatley, of Elders Busselton, AG & SA Wolfe, of Youngs Siding, D & D Roche, of Pemberton, who bought two at that price, EW & ME Rose, of Witchcliffe, and GN Wilkinson, of Badgingarra.
Mr Gandy said the overwhelming list of 62 registered buyers appreciated the quality. Landmark auctioneer John Wirth said many purchasers were satisfied return buyers.
The Gandys will again up the ante next year when the stud introduces a new Canadian Angus sire, Old Post. "His sons will be available in 2013," Mr Gandy said.
With the $9000 top-priced bull, Diamond Tree Eclipse F77, are Brett Chatley, of Elders, Diamond Tree stud principal Kim Gandy, Jock Embry, of Landmark, and buyers Dean and Lyndsay Phillips, of Manjimup.
• • •
All but one go at Diamond Tree — Feb 2011
Story/photo by Bob Garnant and courtesy of
Offered | Sold | Top | Average |
52 | 51 | $13,500 | $5015 |
The Gandy family’s annual summer bull sale attracted good buying support as all but one of the 52 bulls offered were sold to a top of $13,500. Average prices were well up on last year, moving upwards by an even $1000 per head. Stud principal Kim Gandy said registrations included many new listings with several new buyers active at the sale.
Diamond Tree Performer E101 which topped the scales at 1010kg, found competitive bidding from two commercial breeders - Arizona Farms, of Lake Grace and Twin Lakes, of Manjimup, the former the successful bidder on the sale topper. The 7.1 framed bull was sired by Bennett Performer and recorded EBVs of +54, +97 and +123 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, which put the meat machine into the top 1 per cent for all growth traits, milk and carcase weights and most indexes. Bob Pumphrey, of Landmark Albany, who bought the bull on behalf of Arizona Farms, said the big volumed bull carried exceptional figures.
New buyer Aaron Constantine, of Jasper Hill Farms, Margaret River, paid the $10,000 second top-price for another Bennett Performer son, Diamond Tree E112. Mr Constantine recently bought a line of Diamond Tree stud cows to add to his herd of 200 cows and heifers. Jasper Hills Farm manager Brock Murray said E112, which featured smartly on the catalogue cover, carried a more moderate 6.1 frame score and had similar volume that featured throughout the sale. Mr Constantine also secured another bull for Jasper Hills Farms, sired by Diamond Tree Lead On, for $8000.
While the weights were well up on most bulls, averaging around 900kg, Mr Gandy said he was pleased with the quality and temperament in the stud’s offerings.
Repeat buyer Vern Mouritz, of Hyden, paid $8750 for a Performer son and $7500 for an Ideal son.
A Booroomooka Warwick son also featured in the top line-up of which caught the eye of Bill Phillips, and his granddaughter, Lyndsay, of Kanangra Grazing, Mayanup. Mr Phillips secured the 988kg bull for $8500.
Twin Lakes came back into the sale to secure Diamond Tree Eclipse E247 for $8000.
New buyer Murray Nixon, of Gingin, bought his first Diamond Tree bull for $8000. Mr Nixon said he was looking for pedigree and performance for his selection of a low birth weight bull.
Also at the sale and securing a bull was Gilbert and Marilyn Rowan-Robinson, of Bridgetown. The couple were named MLA’s most efficient cattle breeders before semi-retiring to a more manageable herd size. Gilbert, who said he is fastidious with EBV figures, bought a low-birth weight bull with high growth. He said cattle breeders can produce more improved tender beef by using the EBVs to select animals that breed calves which do not require HGPs through the feedlot.
With the $13,500 top-priced bull are Orest Luzny, of Elders Manjimup, Lex and Kim Gandy, of Diamond Tree, and Bob Pumphrey, of Landmark Albany.