QUALITY was key for Glenborough Station's Lance and Karen Pope, who enjoyed one of their most successful Gold City Brahman Sales in years.
Mr Pope sold five outstanding grey bulls to average $10,100 and he said he was thrilled with the result.
Their top price bull, Glenborough Hayden Manso (H), fetched $17,000, which made it the third most expensive bull sold on the day.
The grey 28-month-old is a son of FBC Hunter 735/1 (AI) (D) out of Glenborough Peta Pan Manso (AI) (H) and was purchased by the Knuth family, Glencoe Station.
Hayden Manso entered the ring weighing 870kg, had a scrotal circumference of 38cm and an eye muscle area of 142 square centimetres.
Mr Pope said he was 'over the moon' with the result.
"His weight for age and growth was excellent, he has a very good temperament and outstanding eye muscle," Mr Pope said.
"There were some repeat buyers bidding and also some new buyers came along and they were very happy with the bulls.
"That's the best average we have had for years.
"We had more buyers come to the sale and also the quality, we had implored everyone to bring their very best bulls and it really paid off.
"Hopefully we can improve every year.
"The other thing that may have helped is that money for cattle is coming up now, live export money is very good, so people can sell their old bulls for good money and spend that little bit extra to upgrade the herd."
Mr Pope said he had supported Gold City from the beginning, when it was in Townsville, and it was his major annual sale.
"It is nice to sell bulls locally, they are grown on the coast and sold in the area with a lot of Charters Towers people and others out west."
The outstanding result came on the back of a difficult year for the Popes, who lost 40 cows and calves to pneumonia after their 591-hectare Yabulu property was inundated during the North Queensland monsoon event.
Mr Pope said despite the big wet, they were back in drought and while they ordinarily grow their own hay, were now having to buy feed in.
"It went from one extreme to another from flood to drought.
"The cattle are looked after but the supplement comes at a cost. A lot of farms out there are hurting."