Once a feature of the bull selling season at Winton, the Santa Gertrudis sale featuring Eyriewald and Forest Park sires took place at Blackall last Friday for the first time, resulting in a top price of $10,500.
Augathella’s Glen Roberts was among the crowd of buyers that ranged from Hughenden to Mitchell, fighting off bidders at the new venue to secure 18-month-old Forest Park 292, for Gladys Downs Pastoral.
The bull was by a Forest Park sire out of a Forest Park dam, and was one of 22 offered by the stud.
Paul and Robyn Dyer sold all 16 of their Eyriewald bulls.
The sale resulted in an average overall price of $5652.78, a 100 per cent clearance and a gross of $203,500.
Landmark’s stud stock coordinator, Colby Ede said the spread of buyers reflected the sale prices for cattle at the moment, which also saw strong bidding from the crowd.
According to Winton agent Tom Brodie, the shift to Blackall, being trialled for this year, was partially motivated by the bigger loss of breeder numbers from the Winton district over the drought years.
The last sale was in 2014.
Mr Brodie said the move by the Dyers to Scotstoun in the Aramac/Muttaburra area and the sale of all their commercial cattle to focus on stud activities meant they were closer to the selling facility at Blackall as well.
“It’s definitely worthwhile looking at,” he said.
The Dyers run 400 breeders at Scotstoun, producing around 80 bulls a year, and Robyn said they would continue to use paddock sales as well as the annual Blackall sale as outlets.