Strong female and embryo results | Australian Wagyu Association

The Australian Wagyu Association’s (AWA) 2025 Elite Wagyu Sale (EWS) showcased the best of the breed last night, with strong results particularly in elite females and embryos.

Held live at the association’s annual industry conference, WagyuEdge ’25, conducted by Ray White Livestock Dalby and simulcast by Stocklive — the sale offered 44 meticulously selected lots, including bulls, females, semen, and embryos. Each lot was backed by detailed pedigree, EBV data, the newly launched Genetic Diversity and Genomic Inbreeding scores and comprehensive health records.

The Elite Wagyu Sale is open to only animals representing the top 5% of Wagyu EBVs in each trait category (carcase, growth and maternal), and a Breed $Index in the top 1% as registered with the Australian Wagyu Association.

Sale Highlights
The highlight of the evening was a standout Circle8 Fullblood Wagyu female, Lot 1, which achieved the top price of $95,000. Competitive bidding was seen across elite females and embryo lots, underlining the demand for quality maternal genetics.

In total, 99 buyers registered for the online sale through Stocklive — 79 domestic and 20 international — with strong interest from the USA. A further 334 viewers tuned in to watch the auction online, while spirited bidding in the room reflected the strong support for top-end genetics. Online bidders contributed $280,000 to the final sale result, with the top online price being $27,500 for Lot 22, purchased via AWN Squires.

AWA CEO, Dr Matt McDonagh, said the sale delivered a solid result that reflected current market dynamics.

“Tonight, we saw a solid sale, realistic of current commercial conditions, highlighting particularly strong results for elite females. Quality in elite semen and embryo lots was recognised, and high value was placed on genetics geared towards top-end commercial and seedstock production. Top-ranking marbling and rib eye genetics were particularly sought after,” said Dr McDonagh.

L to R: AWA CEO, Dr Matt McDonagh, vendors, Circle 8 Fullblood Wagyu owners, Carmen and Jeremy Cooper, winning bidder Keith Hay with selling agents David and Amy Felsch from Ray White Livestock Dalby and Auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay.

“The sale was strong on the female section, however bulls and genetics were indicative on the current market conditions.” said David Felsch Ray White Livestock Dalby.

Top lot seller Jeremy Cooper from Circle8 Fullblood Wagyu credited attention to detail and preparation as key to a successful result.

“For us, we put a lot of time and effort into preparing animals to ensure they are displayed at their most optimum level. Our female lot was scrupulously tested, providing peace of mind for the buyer, and her strong genetics is reflective of years of careful selection and innovation.

As a fourth-generation beef producer, to be recognised at this level is an honour. Tonight, our focus on preparation and marketing really shone through — proving that you don’t need to be the biggest to be competitive,” Mr Cooper said.

EWS Auction stats

Total sold $810,425
70% clearance
Lots offered: 44
Lots sold: 31
51 onsite bidcards
Highest clearance rate: Semen 100%, Embryos 75%, Females 73%
99 buyers registered for the sale, with 79 domestic registrations and from every state and territory
20 internationals logged in with strong representation from the USA.
Attendance was also strong, with 334 logged-in viewers (separate to buyers)
75 per cent of lots received online bids.
Online injected $280k into the sale
Top online price achieved, lot 22: $27.5k purchased through AWN Squires

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It is important that you appreciate when accessing the Australian Wagyu Association Limited (AWA) database (which may be hosted on an external website) that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) and Index values (together called Database Information), is based on data supplied by AWA members and/or third parties. 

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Regarding WBVs and Index values, it is important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that: 

WBVs are derived using genetic evaluation technology developed for the AWA, using the information contained within the AWA database. 
WBVs are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype. 
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Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams. As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated. 
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