Money in the mud at Brahman Week

Top priced grey bull was Carinya Hazelwood, who sold for $115,000 to Owen Scott and family, Ruan Grazing, Clermont. 

Hazelwood, a 23-month-old bull, weighed 875kg and had an EMA of 132cm sq and a scrotal circumference of 37cm. 

Mr Scott said his family operation had recently been focused on buying one great bull instead of multiple cheaper bulls in an attempt to breed their own high-quality bulls for in-herd use. 

Speaking for Carinya was Mitch Kirk, Carinya, Gayndah, who said Hazelwood was definitely one of the family’s picks.

“We did contemplate keeping him at one point, but you can’t keep them all,” he said.

Hazelwood was by NCC Sugarwood, a South African bred bull which Carinya own in partnership with Brett Nobbs, NCC Brahmans. 

Mr Kirk said Sugarwood has been very influential in the stud herd. 

“Just strength in the head, temperament; they’re just fleshy, growthy, strong headed cattle with good temperament,” he said. 

Sugarwood was struck by lightning only a couple of weeks after Carinya took him home from Mr Nobbs’. 

“What do you do – it’s just one of those freak things,” Mr Kirk said.

“We’ve missed a few seasons there but luckily we’ve all milked him a fair bit; there’s plenty of semen in the tank and we’ll obviously keep using it.” 

Mr Scott said he purchased Hazelwood mostly because of his exceptional temperament, but said he didn’t expect to pay quite so much for him.

“I thought $60,000 or $70,000 probably would have pulled him up but this is where we ended up,” he laughed.

The Scott family breed high-grade purebred Brahmans with between 3500 and 4000 breeders, and Mr Scott said Hazelwood would be put to use to breed bulls for their own use. 

“We use probably 50 bulls per year, so instead of buying 50 herd bulls we just buy one good one and breed our own,” he said. 

While Mr Scott said while he himself doesn’t have a stud, his daughter does, and Hazelwood will also be put to work with the stud herd to “earn his wages”. 

In the last ten years the family have moved towards buying high quality bulls each year. 

“We haven’t spent over $100,000 before, but we bought a $90,000 (bull) of Brett Nobbs’ last year,” he said. 

“We have done that for probably the last 10 years; just bought one or two bulls per year of the better quality at the higher end – and this just happened to be the dearest one.”

With plenty of mud about at Brahman Week this year, Mr Scott said he was happy to report they had received 30mm of rain at home in Clermont as well. 

“It’s good to be walking around in mud instead of bull dust,” he said.

Mr Kirk said Carinya’s run was “unbelievable”.

“It’s the sort of run you wouldn’t want to dream about,” he said.

“Obviously we’re very proud, proud of the cattle, and it’s very rewarding after putting so much time and effort in and seeing them grow from such a young age to where they are now, especially ones with this sort of personality.

“You get quite attached to them.”

The grey bulls finished after lunch on Tuesday, with 460 bulls selling for an average of $9084, and a gross of $4,178,500. 

Second top priced grey bull was Carinya Hayden, who was purchased by Andrew and Anna McCamley, 2AM stud, Dingo, for $70,000. 

The volume buyer of the greys was Battlin Pastoral, Mallpunyah Springs Station, Tennant Creek, who went home with 21 bulls grossing $86,500 for an average of $4119. 

The third top priced bull in the grey run was the $65,000 Hazelton All Bull 4412, who sold to the Price family, Moongool stud, Yuleba.