For the first time in its 10-year existence, Longreach’s Dean and Julie Allen topped the Artesian Droughtmaster bull sale at Blackall today.
In what may have been a naming omen, their 25-month-old sire, Western Red Longreach (P) was sold for $15,500 to Jim and Becky Farquhar’s Calco Droughtmaster Stud at Rolleston.
Dean, the chairman of the sale, said while it had been a great feeling to have a sale topper, the 100 per cent sale clearance was just as pleasing, along with the $5941 overall average.
“I think it shows the strong demand there is for Droughtmasters in central and western Queensland,” he said. “It follows on from some other good sales over the last couple of weeks.”
He described their sale topper as having overall appeal, combining a strong poll head with frame.
His sire, Glenlands Overseer has been in the Western Red stud for eight years and bred 50 or more sale bulls for the Allens.
“He’s a sire who has bred on, and I think this one will too,” he said.
Western Red Longreach entered the ring at 860kg and had a scrotal circumference of 40cm.
His EMA is 133sq cm while his P8 and rib fat measurements were 10 and 7mm respectively.
His new owners will be putting him with select cows in both the Calco stud and son Larry’s Eljay stud.
Becky Farquhar said they were impressed with the structural correctness of the bull and they knew his dam, Currajong Biscuit, was breeding a good known cross from her eight calves to date.
“We’ve had a few Glenlands bulls and we’re happy with the progeny,” she said.
They also purchased Medway Avoca for $6500, who will go into their herd.
Just behind the Allens were the Childs family of Bouldercombe, who sold Glenlands D Waterloo (P), aged 20 months, for $15,000, to Eddie and Sharon Maxwell, Rockvale Station, Julia Creek.
Waterloo weighed in at 795kg and had an EMA of 138sq cm.
Three bulls were sold for $10,000 each – Medway Year Dot from the Donaldson family’s Bogantungan stud, and two from Ken and Kerry McKenzie’s Yaralla stud at Blackwater.
Springsure’s AM and KM Hawkins purchased Medway Year Dot (S), aged 28 months and weighing 820kg.
The Appleton Cattle Co, Star Downs, Alpha outlaid for both the Yaralla sires making $10,000 – Yaralla 79/7 (H), 24 months, weighing 795kg and an EMA of 130sq cm, and Yaralla Tumnus (H), who was 750kg at 23 months, with an EMA of 134sq cm.
Glenlands recorded the highest average on the day, selling five head for an average of $8000.
They were followed by the McCormack family’s Clonlara stud at Glenmorgan, clearing all six of their bulls for $6416.
Volume buyers came from around the state, including Craig and Emma Scholes, Braemar Investments, Lighthouse, Blackall; Benn Brown, Bogunda Station, Prairie; and Arcturus Downs, Springsure, who each selected six bulls.
Craig said he would be putting the new sires, a mix from Medway, Glenlands and Clonlara, with first calf heifers on their Northampton country east of Blackall.
“We’ve been coming since the sale first started – it’s great to have on my doorstep,” he said. “We bought up because you’ve got to be confident in the weather, and you can’t breed calves without bulls.”
Opening the sale, Dean referenced the tough years commercial and seedstock breeders alike had been weathering and said it was pleasing that people continued to turn up in numbers for the sale.
- Selling agent: Landmark
Related: $34,000 for Medway bull – 2017