Repeat clients dominated the Riverglen Charolais bull sale at Roma on Wednesday, with several new faces showing their interest.
Of the 49 bulls offered, 37 sold for a 75 per cent clearance rate, averaging $5135 and topping at $9500.
The Hoare family from Fernbank, Kingaroy, purchased the top-price bull, Riverglen N2337E, a 2016 spring-drop bull which weighed in at 848 kilograms and measured 39 centimetres in scrotal circumference.
The polled bull had an estimated breeding value (EBV) of +144 for eye muscle area (EMA), an intramuscular fat of +4.6, and seven millimetres of rib fat.
A second-top price of $9000 was paid by Errol and Colleen Rolfe, Marie Downs, Mt Abundance, for Riverglen M2356E.
The 2016 spring-drop bull tipped the scales at 888kg and had a scrotal circumference of 36cm, with EBVs of +143 for EMA, an IMF of +5.4, and 6mm of rib fat.
Riverglen Charolais stud principal, David Sullivan, said he was quite pleased with the sale results considering the season.
“We had quite good rain in late February and March,with 300mm over three weeks, so that was a bonus and helped in preparation for the sale,” he said.
“There's a few new sires represented in the draft and they sold well, so we’re very pleased with that.”
TopX Roma auctioneer, Lincoln McKinlay, said the sale saw a very positive result.
“All the buyers that were here, they were here to buy bulls, they knew what they wanted, and they were here to buy commercially orientated bulls with plenty of carcase and eye appeal in them and that's what the Riverglen stud put up today,” he said.
“They put up a wonderful draft of bulls and they've got a good result.”
Guest vendors, Juandah Grazing, Guluguba, offered six bulls, with four of them selling for a top price of $4000 and average of $3625.
Kel Kelly, Juandah, Guluguba, said it was great to see the Juandah bulls sell well in such tough conditions.
“We've got a lot of dry feed but another couple of months we'll be in a different situation,” she said.
“We put the pressure on our bulls quite early anyway, so the ones that we bring to the sale, we know they can do, so they don't need a lot of feed to get them prepared because we know they've already done it tough beforehand.
“Most of the bulls we offered were in good order and temperament was pretty good, and at the end of the day that's what people are looking for.”
Penfold Pastoral Company, Palmerston, Teelba, were top volume buyers, taking home five bulls to a top of $7000 and average of $5300.
The Rolfe family, Marie Downs, Mt Abundance, purchased four bulls to a top of of $9000, averaging $7500, while Des and Wendy Jones, Evergreen, Injune, also took home four bulls, averaging $3875 and topping at $4500.
The sale was conducted by TopX Roma and Elders Roma, with Lincoln McKinlay, TopX, and Brady Jackson, Elders, taking the bids.