Wattlebray Charbrays sells top price bull at 2023 National Charbray Bull Sale

Elders selling agent Randall Spann said while no clear trend could be identified when judging what buyers were looking for, he commented that a lot of good bulls bound for stud duties, "sold for not a lot of money".

A total of 100 bulls were catalogued by 16 vendors, 87 offered on the day, and 63 sold at the fall of the hammer to average $9390 per head, giving a clearance rate of 72 per cent.

Agents said after a further three bulls were sold post sale, taking the gross to $599,400.

The top price bull was lot 8 Wattlebray Starlight offered by Trevor and Lolita Ford of Wattlebray Charbrays, Canaga, sold for $32,500 to Andrew Hacon of Hacon Enterprises, Cubberoo Station, Cloncurry through Nutrien Rockhampton.

Wattlebray Charbrays sold 12 bulls under the hammer, with another two sold post sale, bringing their average to $11,250.

Sired by Huntington Lovell and out of Wattlebray 394/4, the 23-month-old bull tipped the scales at 912 kilograms and measured 39.5cm in scrotal circumference.

The scurred-polled bull boasted figures of 144 square centimetres for eye muscle area, 5.45pc for intramuscular fat, and 10mm and 9mm, respectively, for P8 and rib fats.

Following the sale Mr Ford said he was "really happy" with the result given the tough year, and was grateful first time buyer Mr Hacon would be pushing his genetics into the north.

Mr Hacon is a seedstock producer who breeds bulls out of the paddock on around 36,422 hectares (90,000 acres).

Mr Hacon said he wanted to give his good line of Charbray females, mainly heifers, the "best shot", with "a good bull". Wattlebray Starlight would be joined naturally and through AI with a breeder herd of about 70 females.

"The Wattlebray name caught our eye for their consistent line of bulls and we've been following them for a while," Mr Hacon said.

"He was also out of a good cow who has had six calves in a row."

The bull spent the year on the stud's show team, doing the local circuits, and although he wasn't always a standout at the shows, Mr Ford said he certainly attracted attention coming into the bull selling season.

"Everything's right bout him, he ticks all the boxes with plenty of length and depth of body and a good broad head, he's got the whole package," he said.

The Ford family was working to produce good polled bulls that will had bone and masculinity in their breeding program.

Being in the top spot wasn't unfamiliar for the stud owners who topped the sale in 2022, breaking the breed record with polled Wattlebray Ringer, which made $52,500.

It's been a week of success for Wattlebray Charbrays who were also awarded the Hec Maynard Memorial Trophy of Excellence by the Charbray Society of Australia on Sunday for their promoting the breed.

They were also awarded the inaugural Heather Stewart Memorial Award by a panel of judges who awarded their pen of bulls for presentation and evenness.

"It was really humbling to get those two awards on top of everything else," Mr Ford said.

The second top price bull on the day, polled Marlegoo Swagman, was sold by Cherie Gooding, Marlegoo Family Trust, Biloela for $25,000 to repeat buyer Emjay Charbray, Goomeri, who purchased the stud's top price bull in 2021.

The 23-month-old polled bull tipped the scales at 803kg, scanned 143 square centimetres for eye muscle area, 12mm and 9mm for P8 and rib fat, and 5.4pc for intramuscular fat. His scrotal circumference was 39cm.

He was sired by Marlegoo Quality and out of Marlegoo Moo and would be heading into stud duties.

Ms Gooding said she wanted to keep him as her senior bull for Beef 2024, but ultimately made the "hard decision" to sell him, but was able to collect about 100 semen straws to do an IVF program.

"He's just a beautiful, tidy, even muscled bull and lovely clean coast on him, perfect temperament and that's why we love him and kept a semen share from him," she said.

She offered a total of nine bulls, clearing seven bulls in the ring and another one post sale. She said all of her polled bulls sold in the ring, with the two horned bulls passed in until after the sale.

Volume buyers on the day were Calliweera Cattle Co who bought three bulls to average $5666 and Mt Pleasant Grazing Co who bought three bulls to average $8888.

Buyers and bidders came from Atherton, Blackhall, Taroom, Gin Gin, Monto, Sarina, Gindie, Charleville, Calen, Nebo, Jambin, Morinish, Rosedale, Cloncurry, Kandanga, Mt Morgan, Ridgelands, Bracewell, Gayndah, Calliope, Ballangowan, Emerlad, Biloela, Mothar Mountain, Bajool, Goomeri, Gympie, Canaga, Bundundarra, Delan, Springsure, Mackay, Capella, Condamine, Goondiwindi, and St Lawrence.