BARRHEAD – There is no record of a dead bull selling for the most money at a live auction sale until now.
At the 23rd-annual On Target Bull and Female sale held at the Barrhead Ag Barn March 14, Dwajo Kindom 16K, a Jan. 18, 2022 yearling Black Angus bull that died as the result of a bizarre accident just days before the sale, brought a total $21,750 for six packs of 20 straws of semen. Dwajo Angus, owners of the bull, had semen drawn on the bull earlier, and decided to sell some to bull buyers, while keeping some for their own herd use. Shown at several shows last year, he was the champion at the Westlock Ag Fair beef cattle show, the reserve champion bull in the Jackpot class at the Barrhead Beef Bash and class winner at the Camrose Beef Congress earlier this year.
The On Target annual sale consisted of four sale partners — Cinder Angus (Brad Yoder and Nocolle Hoskins and Family, Dwajo Angus (Dwayne, Joanne and Jesse Emery), SIBL Simmentals (Barclay and Michelle Smith and family) and KD Simmentals (Trevor and Kristi Liboiron and family).
The high-selling live bull of the sale was also a Dwajo Black Angus bull, Dwajo Coalition 79K, a Feb. 12, 2022 yearling purchased by Gurney Land and Livestock of Fort Macleod for $19,000. The bull, with a birthweight of 82 pounds and a weaning weight of 762 pounds, had a 37-centimetre scrotal measure and sale weight of 1,457 pounds.
The high-selling Cinder Angus bull was their Red Cinder Bankroll 483K, a Jan. 4, 2022 yearling which sold for $10,000 to a buyer from Camrose.
SIBL Simmentals high-selling bull was their BLI Knockout 2204K, Jan. 29, 2022 yearling black Simmental bull, purchased by Meunier Farms of Barrhead for $8,500.
KD Simmentals high-selling bull was KAL KIP 13K, a Jan. 23, 2022 homo red polled Simmental yearling, purchased by Jeremy Allen of Irma for $8,000.
A total of 71 bulls from the four sale partners brought an average of $5,850. Six heifers, all consigned by Dwajo Angus brought an average of $3,217.
Each year, one of the consignors contributes an open donation heifer, sold by Dutch auction. This year, it was SIBL Simmentals, the Smith family of Cherhill who contributed a Feb 26, 2022 yearling heifer. Each bid of $10 receives one chance to win the bull. Bidders racked up a total of $8,510. The heifer was ‘won’ by Randy Grabler of Barrhead, ironically a hereford breeder. The money from the donation heifer will be split between support for the Barrhead Beef Bash fall cattle show and support for the local community, including ag society and the food bank.
