CAP Droughtmaster bull sale reaches a top price of $14,000 twice in 2023

At the fall of the hammer on Thursday 1pm, 35 of the 67 bulls offered by the Atkinson family, Glenavon Droughtmasters, Yaamba and Geddes families, CMC stud, Springsure were snapped up.

The result represented a clearance of 53 per cent and overall sale average of $6570.

This year's offering was slightly more than the 58 up for bids at last year's sale, the average also down from the $8660 recorded in 2022.

A further run down of the sale catalogue saw 27 registered bulls of the 44 offered sell for a 61 pc clearance and average of $6666, eight herd bulls out of 23 offered sell for a 34 per cent clearance and $6250 average and top price of $10,000 achieved twice for lots 49 and 69.

A sale top price of $14,000 was achieved twice by Atkinson & Co, Glenavon, Yaamba.

First to the top spot was lot 20, Glenavon Zambo, purchased by long-term supporters John and Denice Clark of Basalt Creek, Arcadia Valley, Rolleston.

The 24-month-old homozygous polled son of Garthowen Wrangler and out of Glenavon 3236 weighed 828 kilograms, had an eye muscle area of 134 square centimetres, P8 and rib fat measurements of 12 and eight millimetres and measured a scrotal size of 40.5 centimetres.

The Clark family operate a 10,920 hectare breeding and fattening operation at Rolleston, where they run 700 predominately Droughtmaster breeders.

Mr Clark said he picked out Zambo because it was one of the vendor's best bull offered on the day.

"(Zambo) has got a lot of length about him, he is thick when you look along his back line, with nice depth in the rib, not overdly, but he's stretchy," Mr Clark told the Queensland Country Life.

"I've had Droughtmasters since I started buying Swan bulls years ago, and now I've got a full polled herd.

"I purchased five bulls in 2022 sale and liked the way their calves have hit the ground, so I thought I'd come back again for more."

The Clarks keep 25 per cent of their heifers for replacements and the rest go into the bullock paddock, where they target the market at Teys Rockhampton.

"I recently sent a truck load of heifers and they were around 308kg, while the bullocks I sent were around 350kg," he said.

Mr Clark said Zambo will go into their best paddock with their best best breeders.

Vendor John Atkinson said he was pleased Zambo was going to a long-term client.

"(Zambo) is a bull with a lot of length and bone and everything you need to get weight into your bullocks," Mr Atkinson said.

"The support from repeat buyers is the base of this whole show, getting people back again because they're happy with what you're doing.

"We were short 15 bid cards on the day and that's the sign of the dry I think and the store market, particularly.

"We were very happy with the bulls we presented and I thought that they were good functional bulls with a bit of leg and just not over done."

Fellow sale topper, Glenavon Zilch, hit the ring 23 lots later, selling to Parker Investments, Westwood for $14,000.

The 20-month-old son of Glenavon Vinnie and out of Glenavon 3833 weighed 698kg, had an EMA of 135sq cm, P8 and rib fat measurements of 11 and seven millimetres and measured 36cm for scrotal size.