Droughtmaster bull Valera Vale 19687M (P) sells for $23,000

In fact, all three sale benchmarks were broken with a $23,000 record top price, a $6625 record average and their biggest gross to date at $609,500 for a total sellout of the catalogue of 92 bulls.

Valera Vale 19687M (P) was the first bull into the ring and attracted the $23,000 record top money from repeat buyers Roger and Jenny Underwood, Eversleigh Droughtmaster Stud, Wallumbilla.

The 22-month-old son of Amavale Bradman (PcPc) was listed with 65 per cent Brahman blood.

He was supported with impressive figures of 79 per cent morphology, scanned 12mm and 10mm for rib and rump fat, 126sq cm for eye muscle area and had an intramuscular fat score of 5.1pc.

Underbidders were the Cormack family of Black Gully Droughtmasters, who bought lots three and four for an average of $8000 - both bulls were by Lynsey Park Vernon.

Both volume buyers were from Western Australia with Brent and Rachel Smoothy, Rachlan Holdings, Hillside Station, Marble Bar, buying 14 bulls for a $3643 average.

Repeat buyers Haydn and Jane Sale, Mandora Station, Broome, bought 12 bulls (all PcPc) for a $6625 average, including the second-top priced bull, Valera Vale 19668M (P), also by Amavale Bradman.

Other buyers included Ross Shapcott, Reynella, Augathella, who bought eight bulls for a $6625 average and a $10,000 top and Rob and Annie Donoghue, Baradoo, Bauhinia who bought seven at $8571 with a $12,000 top.

New clients, the Laycock family, High Country Droughtmasters, paid $10,500 for Valera Vale 19322M (P), a 20-month-old son of Valera Vale 15064M.

The entire draft of bulls were polled or scurred, DNA tested for poll, Pompes, and Brahman content and sire verified.

The sale was broadcast through a new private phone tower erected just days before the sale by James Drummond, Winwave Communications.

The Flynn family won a small business COVID-19 adaptation grant from the Queensland government that funded about 30 per cent of the construction.

Ironically, Mr Drummond was prevented from crossing the border from his NSW base until the last minute by the COVID-19 border closure.

There was a spread of Queensland buyers from Hughenden to Quilpie and Bollon to Woodford.

Around 150 people watched the high quality live video of the auction online, including the two WA volume buyers.