MAGS Droughtmaster Sale co-vendor Mac Shann succinctly described the 2021 result as "excellent".
This description was ably backed by the 20th anniversary sales' figures, in which the 124 Droughtmaster and Charmaster bulls offered received excellent support from a locked-in panel of buyers at the Dalrymple Saleyards in Charters Towers on Friday, November 12.
The quality of the draft was evident in each lot that was offered by Mac and Gayle Shann, Lamont stud, Cantaur Park, Clermont, and Kylie Graham and Mat Durkin, Mungalla stud, Farnham, Taroom.
This impeccable selection resulted in a 100 per cent clearance of the 108 Droughtmasters and 16 Charmasters selected for a sterling average of $13,419 per head and a total gross of $1,664,000.
A total of 71 registered sires averaged $13,648, and grossed $928,500, while lot 94, Lamont Toronto (P) D4, a Lamont Oswald (P) D3 son, was snapped up by Allan and Jeanette Williams, Riverside Pastoral Company, Nebo, for $40,000, which ended up being the second top price on the day.
Mr Williams said it was Toronto's beautiful nature, softness and length that attracted them to the 822kg with an EMA of 135 centimetres squared, P8 of 12mm, 9mm rib, scrotal circumference of 44cm, and 5.2 intramuscular fat percentage, together with 85pc motility and 81pc morphology scores.
"We'll be putting him in a single sire herd with a selection of very good Red Brahman cows which our daughter Claire will be in charge of," Mrs Williams said.
A herd bull in lot 64, EZE 207 (PP), claimed the top price honours on the day, with the Angus family, Hillside Droughtmasters, Dawson Vale, Charters Towers, making the winning $42,000 bid.
It was the Homozygous Polled genetics, and high motility and morphology scores of 95pc each that stood out to Neil Angus and his son Kurt, who said the bull was "second to none".
"He also has a perfect sheath and a great temperament," he said.
"We'll be putting him in with the stud herd."
He said they last purchased from MAGS in 2018, and those bulls had performed well.
"We've been repeat MAGS buyers over the years. You know you can buy with confidence from Lamont and Mungalla.
"It was particularly good to see morphology results included on the supplementary sheet. It's a practice that needs to be more widely adopted across the north."
Mr Shann said they'd collected 300 straws from EZE 207 (PP) a month ago.
"He's a bull we wanted to keep but we knew we had to select our best bulls for the sale. We're certainly happy with what he made."
He said the bull had found a good home at Dawson Vale and he'll look forward to seeing his progeny coming through.
All 37 herd bulls sold to average $13,189 and gross $528,500.
The 16 Charmasters sold to average $12,938 and gross $207,000, topping at $28,000 for lot 131, EZE 161 (PP), which was purchased by Glenn and Wendy Dickson, Chelbrook Cattle Company, Emerald.
Perry and Nicola Fox, SPK Pastoral, Spring Creek, Mount Garnet, were the top volume buyers on the day, taking home 12 bulls at an average of $9083.
Mr Fox, who with his wife are regular MAGS buyers, said while they'd bought a dozen bulls they wanted more.
"We knew going in that the prices would be a bit higher than usual. We were very happy with our purchases and the price we paid. They'll all be going into our commercial herd."
Reflecting on the result post-sale, Mr Shann said he was relieved the sale went as well as it did.
"You get a bit nervous when the prices across the state are as good as they have been. But we presented a larger than usual lineup of bulls this year that were very strong from front to back, and with uniformly good temperaments to boot," he said.
He said the pre-sale marketing by sale agent Elders had been first-rate, and that introducing 5 Star Creative Promotions to produce the video of the bulls selected for the sale had proven beneficial in conjunction with online selling on the day through Elite Livestock Auctions.
"We had a good list of repeat buyers present as well as a few new buyers, which was great to see.
"The shower at the end of the sale really topped off the day."
Lamont and Mungalla are now looking forward to the 2022 sale.
"We have a good crop of calves that'll be ready for that sale. We hope to see everyone who was here today again next year," Mr Shann said.
