Show steer enthusiasts keen to return to the ring after COVID-19 disruptions armed with their best chance at a broad ribbon weren't afraid to pay up to 1700c/kg at the Glen Innes Potential Show Steer Sale on Monday.
Yet again the Colin Say and Co run sale reached all new levels when a 240 kilogram Limousin steer from Tyson and Courtney Will, TCW Livestock, Delungra, sold for a record breaking 1700c/kg to return $4080.
The steer was eventually secured by Luke Cox and Emily Kahler of L and E Contracting at Glamorgan Vale in Queensland and would be broken and put straight onto feed.
Mr Cox had been showing steers for eight to 10 years and hoped their latest purchase would be the one to take them to a Royal Queensland Show steer title in 155 days.
The entire draft of 38 steers and heifers, the largest in the events history, also achieved a new record average of 849c/kg.
With the help of Elite Livestock Auctions this year bidding stretched as far as South Australia and Victoria.
Colin Say and Co agent Shad Bailey said Victorian and South Australian buyers needed pure steers for their shows which was why they had placed an emphasis on offering purebred animals from good stables.
"With the state of play in the cattle market we knew it would be strong," he said.
"It was a larger offering by a fair few so to break those records, it's a testament to the breeders and the quality."
Judge Anthony O'Dwyer from Dalby in Queensland was tasked with judging the yarding of potential show successors and award the Will family's top price steer with the grand champion honours too.
He found it hard to split the top two steers but commented that the Will's steer was a little bit more eye catching and always stood out in the pen.
"They were very hard to split, the top two but it was just the overall depth and fullness right through that split him," he said.
The young steer, around six to seven months, was by Oakvale Kenton and out of a first calf heifer.
The Will family run about 15 Limousin and 15 Charolais stud cows alongside their commercial operation and bred not one but three high selling steers and a heifer by Kenton that averaged 1200c/kg or $3105.
They included the third place Limousin cross heifer that sold to Coonamble High School for 1000c/kg to return $2300, the fifth place Limousin steer that made 1000c/kg to Wellington High to return $2850 and a half brother to the Sydney Royal Show carcase champion that made 1100c/kg or $3190 also to Coonamble High.
In what was their second time selling, Tyson Will said Oakvale Kenton had proved himself as a consistent breeder of top show steers and all of their sale entries were bred from first calf heifers.
"Any day you get to that sort of money you can never complain," he said.
"It's great to get that sort of money as we have been through two years of drought and had a lot of hard times as a family over the years to get to that stage.
"It's good to see Colin Say and Co have got the people there to buy those steers."
It was that potential, proven results and breeding that made the steer a worthwhile investment to his successful buyers.
"It's a hobby and if you win a ribbon it pays off," Ms Kahler said.
The reserve champion steer was awarded to a 255 kilogram Limousin cross Limousin/Angus steer from the Riley family, Coonabarabran, which made 900c/kg or $2295 to future cattlemen Fletcher McMahon and Hudson O'Dwyer, Dalby, Qld.
Fourth place was awarded to a 375 kilogram Limousin steer from first time vendors Downfall Limousins, Willsons Downfall, that was Queensland bound for reputable fitter Travis Luscombe who paid 900c/kg o $3375.
A 'smokey' buy according to auctioneer Shad Bailey was the 230 kilogram Limousin steer from LA Martin that made 1200c/kg to return $2760 for Travis Luscombe.
All of the pre-sale interest had been for a 175 kilogram Speckle Park cross Angus/Limousin heifer offered by Kris Trow that made 1150c/kg or $2012.50 to the O'Reilly family of Ironpot Pastoral in the state's north.
A number of schools were active on the day including Coonamble High School with five head averaging 980c/kg, Kempsey High with four averaging 877c/kg, Wellington High with two averaging 1070c/kg and Farrer Agricultural High School with three averaging 1016c/kg.
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