The 5M Red Angus sale drew buyers from as far as Bright in Victoria, to Ravenshoe, south-west of Cairns in Queensland's north.
Held at Molong on Friday, it was also to both these locations where the two $6500 equal top-priced lots would be sold, both as part of larger drafts selected to go into new seedstock programs.
For Mitch Cole, Ravenshoe, the sale presented a chance to buy quality Red Angus genetics to go into a red Brangus program to meet growing demand among commercial breeders aiming to diversify their herds into the feedlot market, as well as live exports.
Mr Cole and his family already operate Lapunyah Brahmans, which includes about 350 breeders and their progeny.
All up, Mr Cole, trading as Coley Cattle Company, bought 10 head to average $3450, including the $6500 equal top Round-Em-Up Dina S46, by Kingslane Lootah.
Max Blair and Jen Hall, Buckland Valley Red Angus, Bright, Vic, also bought some quality females for their new stud after also having sold their commercial females to focus solely on the seedstock.
They bought the other $6500 female, Round-Em-Up Poppy P017, by Campaspe Flat Reds Equator, as part of a draft of eight.
This included three heifer calves to average $2500, three cows to average $5417, a spring calving PTIC heifer for $2000 and the bull calf, 5M Ultimate Choice U23 by Kingslane Redeemer R42, for $3000.
These females will join their initial foundation cows from Red Gum and Schipps Red Angus studs to take their foundation herd to 28 head, which they will use to breed bulls for the Must Be Reds sale held annually at Wodonga.
Poppy P017, was among the spring calving cows group with calves, from which 11 sold from 32 offered to average $3409.
The other top-priced lot, Dina S46, was from the autumn-calving cows, of which 12 sold from 18 offered to average $3396.
In the rest of the catalogue, six heifer calves from nine offered topped at $3000 and averaged $2333; seven first-calf cows from nine offered topped at $3750 to average $3179; 15 spring-calving joined heifers sold from 19 offered to a top of $6000 and a $2878 average; three bull calves all sold to $3000 to average $2333 and two mature sires sold to $6000 and averaged $5750.
Overall, the 56 of 92 lots that sold averaged $3143.
Other buyers included Rough Rider Reds, Esk, Qld, which bought three lots to $3750, for PTIC 5M Diffy T5 by Red Towaw Indeed 104H, to average $3000.
Palmview Red Angus, Stoney Creek, Qld, bought PTIC spring calving heifer 5M Juliette T94, for $2000; Rosemullion Red Angus, Goomburra, Qld, bought two spring calving heifers for $3000 each; and Fable Red Angus, Rand, bought four lots to a top of $6000, for PTIC spring calving heifer, Claremont Red Mastercharge daughter 5M Tanya T15, to average $3625.
Repeat customer, Andrew Mosely, Etiwanda Red Angus, Cobar, was looking for some of the more moderate, easy-doing females that also contained the Tullatoola prefix in their pedigrees.
The Mosely family run about 60-70 registered females alongside 400-odd commercial cows and sell a "handful" of bulls locally, as well as into Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Mr Mosely, trading as Manuka Pty Ltd, topped at $3500 and averaged $2833 for three females, the top of his draft being 5M Brooke T3, by Red Six Mile Game Face 164Y.
Mr Hobbs will continue to breed Red Angus through his Round-Em-Up stud at Molong and Moorwatha stud, Howlong.
Nutrien Dubbo was the selling agent, with John Settree and Matt Campion as auctioneers, and AuctionsPlus online.
