Templeton Farms cattle manager Tony Mills had to fire off a quick text to the boss when their Charbray steers were awarded champion pen at Biggenden All Breeds Steer Show and Sale.
"I've just sent the boss Shane Templeton a message," he said.
"And I just got a message back so I bet that's him so I better call him."
The Noosa region based organisation, which also farms ginger and sugar cane, has been supporters of the Biggenden cattle sales for a number of years, and Mr Mills was proud they took the champion ribbon out after recently being named as the manager of the farms cattle stock.
"Templeton Farms has been supporting this sale for a number of years," Mr Mills said.
"This is my first year as cattle manager and we wanted to send a sampling of the product we have coming into the future up to this sale.
"I'm extremely happy and feel the judges comments reflected what we thought - there is a lot of growth left in those steers, and we are excited for all the ones we still have in the paddock that are yet to come."
Mr Mills was referring to the comments made by judge Craig Forrest of Saxby Feedlot when awarding the champion pen as "suiting the market" and could "see growth in them."
The Templeton family farm ginger over multiple properties at Eumundi, Gympie and Maryborough and when the land is taking a break from the crop, their 1600 cattle are grazed on the paddocks.
Mr Mills said it is a system that is proving productive for the land, ginger and cattle.
"Because ginger is a rotational crop we run cattle on the country they are spelling," Mr Mills said.
"They grow ginger on it for three years and then we have it for five years.
"[The] owner Shane believes in giving us very good pasture back, so they put a lot of effort into regenerating the soils and grasses, so we run them on very good country."
With massive rain events over 2022 in the Noosa and Gympie region, Mr Mills said so far 2023 has been extremely dry and that may have helped with the Charbray steers.
"The last 12 months have been brilliant, but in the the last month, we haven't had a drop of rain down that way," Mr Mills said.
"In some way that may have helped those steers, toughened them up a tad.
"We are going to continue working with the Charbray breed, we think it is a great product."
At auction, the champion pen sold for 432 cents a kilogram or $2055 a head.
Alan and Natalie Goodland, Clare Grazing, Theodore also walked away as winners after bringing down several Brahman pens.
The Theodore graziers were happy to take out the best pen award from Brahman or Brahman-infused steers.
"We are definitely happy about this," Mr Goodland said.
"Anytime you can get amongst it in a competition like this is very good, there is a lot of good cattle here and we sell here to benchmark ourselves against the rest, all breeds have been very well represented after about 18 months of a good season.
"The markets have been good and the money has been good today."
The Goodland's steers also sold well, going for 410c/kg or $1950/hd.
Other winners included best pen of Angus or Angus-infused steers, ED Jensen, Wallaville, best pen of Simmental or Simmental infused steers, RJ & KJ Preston, Eidsvold, best pen of Santa Gertrudis or Santa Gertrudis infused steers, Glenellen Cattle Co, Chinchilla, best pen of Braford or Braford infused steers, Russell and Donna Kenny, Gayndah and best pen of Droughtmaster or Droughtmaster infused steers, NJ and KM Gibson, Biggenden.
About 3000 steers were yarded for the event and were drawn from Theodore, Wandoan, Gogango, Monto, Biloela, Cracow, Eidsvold, Mundubbera, Gayndah, Proston, Windera, Murgon, Goomeri, Tansey, Kilkivan, Bauple, Eumundi, Hervey Bay, Childers, Booyal, Lowmead, Miriam Vale and all local areas.
In the highlights of the sale's Simmental offering was RJ and KJ Preston, Eidsvold, who sold Simmental-cross steers from 414-448c/kg or $1576-$1839 and RB and PE Sellers, Gin Gin, who sold Simmental-cross steers for 412c/$1867.
The Santa Gertrudis offering was highlighted by Glenellen Cattle Co, Chinchilla, which sold a line of Santa Gertrudis steers from 410-416c/kg or $1617-$1895 and SM Fowler, Coalstoun Lakes, who sold Santa Gertrudis steers for 430c/kg $1806.
KM Gibson, Boompa, sold Droughtmaster steers for 528c/kg or $1890, while M McCarthy, Childers, sold Droughtmaster steers for 410c/kg or $1372 and RP Lamb, Childers, sold Droughtmaster steers from 396-472c/kg or $1475-1537.
Thursday's sale also included high quality Brangus-cross steers from vendors such as BA Cram, Goodnight Scrub, whose steers went for 412c/kg or $1678, LA Kerle, Mundubbera, whose steers sold for 392-448c/kg or 1499-$1559, N Warren, Biggenden, who returned 424-498c/kg or $1293-$1539, MG Dingle, Mundubbera, who sold steers for 532c/kg or $1684 and MacLennan Cattle Co, Wallaville, which sold Angus-cross steers for 540c/kg $1434.
In the Brahman section, Clare Grazing, Theodore sold steers for 390c/kg or $1661, Glenellen Cattle Co, Chinchilla, sold steers for 402c/kg or $1563, PM Myers, South Kolan sold Brahman-cross steers for 476c/kg or $1314, the Farrell family, Biggenden, sold Brahman-cross steers for 460c/kg or $1334 and A Clark, Booyal sold grey Brahman steers for 446c/$1156.
As for the weaner steer section, HK Dwyer, Biggenden sold Charolais-cross steers for 502c/kg or $1650, the Reilly family, Hervey Bay, sold Charolais-cross steers for 520c/kg or $1430, LM Ruge, Biggenden sold Charolais-cross weaners for 512c/kg or $1557.
Lehmann Cattle Co, Tansey, sold Simmental-cross weaners for 528c/kg $1395-$1804, ED Jensen, Wallaville sold Brangus weaners for 522-538c/kg or $1486-$1608, Arn Horwood, Gin Gin sold Brangus-cross weaners for 536c/kg or $1307 and J McCotter, Gin Gin sold Droughtmaster weaners for 514c/kg or $1171.
