DESPITE the horrific drought conditions engulfing the entire region, Droughtmaster bulls topped at $18,000 at Monday's annual Artesian Droughtmaster Bull Sale, Blackall.
The fixture recorded it's best ever average of $5415 in a sale that saw 53 bulls sell to clear 82 per cent of the catalogue at auction.
The medium record result was $397 ahead of the previous benchmark set last year.
The six vendor studs saw clearance levels dip by nine per cent over the previous year’s result.
Market topper was the $18,000 25-month-old, Medway Vindicate (D) offered by Hastings and Sandra Donaldson's, Medway Stud, Bogantungan. Taking home the 765kg son of Glenlands Purcell (ET) (H) with a 127 EMA and a scan of 15/9mm was Alastair and Karen Kirk, Olinda, Baralaba.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service received a $2750 donation from the vendors of the sale.
The amount represented 10pc of the proceeds of six bulls identified throughout the sale by each of the vendors, the Clonlara, Fairhaven, Glenlands, Medway, Western Red and Yaralla prefixes.
A full report will be published in the October 15 edition of Queensland Country Life.