A total of 3002 head of good quality weaner cattle were yarded at this year’s Stanthorpe Blue Ribbon Weaner Sale.
Competition judge at the show and sale was Ben Lomond cattle producer, Nigel Bourne, from New South Wales.
One of the top priced pens of the sale and Champion Pen of Crossbred Steers was Don Russell, Warwick Park Grazing, Liston consignment of Angus/Limousin-cross steers. The steers sold to 331cents/kg for 368 kilograms to return $1218/head.
It’s Mr Russell’s third time entering the Stanthorpe Blue Ribbon Weaner Sale and his second championship ribbon for the best pen of crossbred steers.
“We run about 180 Angus/Angus-cross breeding cows and focus on selling weaners off-the-cow at nine to 10 months old,” he said.
“I regularly sell my weaners each year at the Stanthorpe show and sale, plus it’s great to have positive feedback about how I’m running my commercial cattle operation.”
The Champion Pen of Crossbred Heifers was awarded to Tony and Rhonda Sipple, Blue Hills, Warwick who recently moved from their property at Dulacca in western Queensland. Their pen of Santa/Charolais-cross heifers sold to 278c/kg and weighed 289kg to return $804/head.
“We’ve run Santa Gertrudis cows and buy Palgrove Charolais bulls to put over them for the past seven years,” Mr Sipple said.
“It’s been four years since we last entered this competition and it’s great to have a win.”
The Champion Pen of Angus Steers was won by Mike Benn, Berrington Cattle Co, Deepwater. The steers sold to 324c/kg and weighed 340kg to return $1102/head on average.
Champion Pen of Angus Heifers was awarded to Kevin Chorley, Kelmara, Tenterfield. The heifers sold to 372c/kg and weighed 340kg to make $1268/head.
The Champion Pen of Hereford Steers went to Peter Jeffrey, Avilen Pty Ltd, Isla, Tenterfield. The steers sold to 326c/kg and weighed 322kg to return $1050/head.
Champion Pen of Hereford Heifers was awarded to John Gross, Misty Hills, Dalveen. The heifers sold to 261c/kg and weighed 214kg to make $560/head.
George and Fuhrmann’s Matthew Grayson said the Stanthorpe weaner sale maintained a solid market during Thursday’s sale.
“It was a very pleasing sale given the current weather conditions,” Mr Grayson said.
“We had increased Queensland buyer interest with some good weather around some of those areas, but parts of New South Wales still remains fairly dry.”
