Bidding was steady at the Australian Brangus Cattle Association-sponsored Rockhampton Brangus sale on Monday, but whipped up into a frenzy to top $28,000.
The sale saw 31 females sell to average $5339, with a 91 per cent clearance.
Causing the stir, which ended in an ovation, was two-year-old Telpara Hills Miss Final Cut 920J22.
The female is pregnancy tested in calf to Telpara Hills Bronson 541H11, the maternal brother to Telpara Hills Van Damme, which topped last year’s bull sale at $110,000.
“It was her muscle, and we couldn’t fault her genetics,” explained buyer Lachlan Brown, who is setting up a stud with wife Maddi on their property between Gracemere and Rockhampton.
“We couldn’t fault her EBVs - she’s a stunner and we’ll be using her as our foundation female.”
The Browns, both stepping out from the mining industry, plan on using IVF to build up their stud quickly.
Second-top priced heifer was another Telpara Hills offering, Telpara Hills Miss Final Cut 209K1, which sold to Glen Wright, Wright Pastoral, Koorela, NSW.
Mr Wright bought three females, all from Telpara Hills, to average $11,000.
Also chasing Telpara Hills genetics was S J McBride, Calliope, who bought two females for a $9250 mean.
Volume buyers of the day were Sue and Mal Burston, Broadlea Station, Nebo, who bought seven females to average $2643.
The Burston’s run a commercial herd of 3000 Brangus at their Nebo property and will breed these females to their Wagyu bulls.
“We like the Brangus because they are a lot more tropical,” Mr Burston explained. “We did try Angus, but they struggled a bit, but we need Brangus with the right Angus content to get the flat back.”
The Burstons were also volume buyers at the commercial female sale, which preceded this sale, taking home 55 females.
They went on to buy a bull at the sale the following day, this one breaking records with the highest percentage intramuscular fat in the Brangus breed at 7.2 per cent.
“We will breed Brangus females using those superior bulls with the high IMF percentage, and those females that go to our Wagyus will have progeny that is tropically adapted to central Queensland,” Mr Burston said.
Other volume buyers on Monday included D and L Jackson, Qwanyilla, who bought three females for a $2917 average; Jarrod and Leanne Deguara, Daunia Station, Nebo, bought two to average $7500; and Emex Pastoral, Gracemere, which bought three for a $2417 average.
Agents: Elders, Ray White, SBB
