WHEN Peter and Joy Newman’s grey bull, Rathlyn N Falcon 11697 (P), sold for $80,000 on day one of Brahman Week, the couple were quick to pass on the kudos.
“My father and mother (Charles and Grace Lund) handed on the stud to us and we see this as great recognition of all the work they have put into the genetics of our herd over many years,” Mrs Newman said.
“Dad has been committed to the beef industry for over 60 years and was quick to realise the many benefits of the Brahman breed.”
Mrs Newman said the rising three-year-old bull is from a homegrown sire and dam although his grand sire was an AI bull.
“That’s one of the loveliest things – that Dad’s genetic selections have come to the fore,” she said.
Weighing in at 1120kg, Falcon 11697 boasted an EMA of 141 sq.cm.
He was purchased by Kelvin and Margaret Maloney, Kenilworth Brahmans, Mt Coolon, south of Charters Towers and will now call their 16,000ha property home.
The Maloneys are no strangers to digging deep at Brahman Week, having paid $70,000 for a bull last year.
And while $80,000 is the most they’ve parted with to date, the couple are confident he’s worth the investment.
“We weren’t really sure what money he would make but we knew he’d be somewhere up there,” Mrs Maloney said.
“We just thought there was a place for him in our herd.”
The Maloneys aim to produce purebred commerical herd bulls and are long time supporters of the Rathlyn Stud. They said Falcon 11697 was the “beefy type of polled bull” they were looking for. He also had the right temperament, they said.
The Newman’s initially cataloged the bull for the 2015 Brahman Week Sale but he was withdrawn after falling sick the day before he was due to step into the ring.
We just thought there was a place for him in our herd.
- Margaret Maloney
Mrs Newman said that gave him time to grow out and show the buyers his true potential.
“Often our two-year-old bulls have a lot of growth to show,” she said.
“They are not late maturing but they are not really early maturing because Dad has always believed that if you have a strong and well sized frame you have a much better ability to deliver weight for age.”
Based at Emerald, the Rathlyn Stud presented 10 bulls averaging just over $23,100 including $29,000 for seven grey bulls.