Sale summary: 65 bulls offered; top price $10,500 twice; average price $5663, 85pc clearance.
Sixty registered bid cards and a top price of $10,500 reached twice told a story of positivity at the Black Stump bull sale at Blackall on Tuesday.
With smatterings of green grass beginning to dot the western Queensland landscape and to the accompaniment of plenty of flies, bids flew for the eight vendors and 10 breeds on offer at the Blackall selling complex.
The nine hour trip by first-time vendor Ian Durkin and his Angus and Hereford sires from the New England region were rewarded when Charleville's Peter and Margie Wade outlaid $10,500 for Angus bull Mountain Valley P831 (SV).
The 20-month-old bull weighed 904kg, had an eye muscle area of 128sq cm, and a scrotal circumference of 43cm.
The long-time Angus breeder from Ravenscourt on the Langlo Road said he admired the attributes of the cow the bull was out of, Peakes Lulu F55.
According to Mr Durkin, she's a foundation cow of the stud and just home from agistment at Longreach.
He described his $7000 average for three Angus bulls and three Hereford bulls as a fantastic result, saying the drought at home and lack of cows had sent him to western Queensland to a new area.
"We've been selling Hereford bulls to the Longreach area for a while," he added.
After 100mm of rain so far this year, Mr Wade plans to join the bull to Angus cows for the feedlot market. He also purchased a Meldon Park Simmental bull for $6500.
Rod and Lis Skene needed to take a year off from the western Queensland sale in 2019 because of the extreme dry but returned with six Simmental bulls and two Simbrah bulls that they sold for an average of $7000.
Long-term Simmental buyer Iain Adams, Darracourt, Blackall purchased Meldon Park P30, 24 months, sired by Meldon Park Hugo, for $10,500.
Weighing 780kg, his eye muscle area was 135sq cm and his scrotal circumference was 36cm.
Mr Adams also paid $8000 for Meldon Park P19 (P).
He will put them over second-calving Santa Gertrudis mothers for the heavy calves they produce.
Read more: Buyers' market at 2019 sale
Winton's Mal and Cindy McQueen were the day's volume buyers, selecting Simmental, Simbrah, Braford and Santa Gertrudis bulls from the day's diverse offering.
Their top purchase was a Meldon Park Simmental for $9500.
Also selling Simmentals at the sale were Lindsay and Janet Allan, Noanga Simmentals, Curlewis NSW.
Together with their Droughtmaster bulls, they sold 13 head for an average of $4576.
Of the Angus, Brangus, Charbray, Simbrah and Droughtmaster bulls offered by GM and LJ Bartolo from Nebo, it was a Simbrah bull, BCC Lance that brought the highest price.
Michael Manning, Rosemount Grazing, Barcaldine, paid $6500 for the bull bred from Meldon Park Elite and a Lochinvar Simbrah cow.
The Bartolos finished the sale with a $3416 average.
Clayton and Mel Arnold, Gelebel, Muttaburra, snapped up all three Mountview Charolais bulls on offer from the Bebbington family at Cambooya, paying a top price of $7000.
Mountview finished with an average of $6333.
Burenda Holdings' seven Angus bulls sold for an average $6714 and a top of $9000 to Wayne Robson, Mt View, Morven.
John and Rosemary McCarthy sold three Santa Gertrudis bulls for an average $3625, and the McNamara family's Strathgyle Brafords sold to a top of $8500, to the Bartolos, and recorded an average of $5600.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
