DENVER, Colo. Ñ A black Simmental bull calf that has been creating a buzz since the day it was born sold for $40,000 US at the National Western Stock Show.
And that youngster went to a Canadian buyer after the Remington Cattle Co. of Del Bonita, Alta., beat out bidders from across the United States.
The calf’s potential was recognized immediately, said John McBee, manager of Grindstone Creek Farms in Sturgeon, Missouri. Buyers starting sniffing around when the bull was four months old, but owners Michael Kaplan and Chris Bell-Kaplan wanted to hold out for the Denver show.
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“Genex has been trying to buy this calf since he was four months old,” said McBee. “He’s one of the best calves to ever hit the Simmental breed.”
The calf went for a full semen interest and two-thirds possession and the semen distributor Genex has leased the bull for its sire lineup.
Named GCF First Dream P13, the calf was born February 2004 and is among the first out of a mating between two high powered black Simmentals named Dream On and First Glance.
The calf was reserve champion at the Kansas City stock show and stood second in a large class at Denver.
Bidders from the Simmental, Angus and Maine Anjou breeds were interested because the bull not only had the correct physical appearance, but also statistics to back up his worth.
It gained an average of four pounds per day and weighed 1,305 lb. on sale day.
Ultrasound tests showed a backfat of 2Ú10ths of an inch and a ribeye of 16.5 sq. inches. It is polled and heterozygous black.
While large and sturdy for its age, the bull has smooth, clean lines and is an easy walker.
The farm also won the reserve grand champion pen of bulls at the show earlier in the week and sold a heifer in the sale for $8,500.
Grindstone Creek Farms’ breeding program uses Black Angus, Simmental and Maine Anjou.
The farm has about 200 cows with a major embryo transplant program.
Halfblood bulls are gaining popularity in the U.S. among commercial producers, so the farm has developed a hybrid program to address their requests. Purebred and halfblood bulls are sold through annual on-farm bull sales.
“It’s opened up the market for us using these other breeds,” said McBee.
