A 14-month-old Speckle Park heifer exhibiting exceptional growth for age topped Battalion Livestock's second annual breed sale at Glen Innes Showground on Monday, selling for $60,000.
Results included 13 of 13 heifers sold to average $16,230; 13 of 15 bulls reaching $30,000 to average $10,770; and six lots of embryos averaging $1241 to top at $1600.
Battalion Unique U84, by the black polled Johner Stock Unmarked 2D and from the speckled Three Way Business Sense, going back to Wattle Grove Mr Business, sold to the top money among spirited bidding to repeat client Ivery Downs Speckle Park, Colinton, Qld.
The youngest heifer of the draft by almost three months, the soft easy-doer matched the much older females for growth, presenting at 440 kilograms and an intramuscular fat scan of 6.9 per cent.
Ivery Downs principals Dale and Stacey Jones said prior Battalion purchases have performed "extremely well" and this new addition was "the pick of growth for age".
"She is absolutely outstanding," said Mrs Jones, who went on to praise the breed's do-ability in tough seasons including last spring, when "everything else needed feed".
"We didn't supplement our females and they didn't change body condition," she said.
"Once acclimatised to Queensland weather, Speckle Park don't get affected by ticks or from heat stress.
"Management-wise they are very easy and you can't fault their temperament."
Ivery Downs also bought four other heifers, including Unique's maternal sister, Battallion T78, for $12,000, with top five per cent breed figures for retail beef yield, and a daughter of top performing, $100,000 Battalion Heartbreaker R16, Battallion T77, for $16,000.
Best priced bull for $30,000 was the black Battalion Exhibit T224, by Andchris Extreme 23E from Waratah Pho-Finish P145, going to new stud breeders Mat and Kylie Buchanan, Mak Agriculture, Gulgong.
Weighing 722kg at 19 months, he presented with top 5pc breed figures for Export Maternal Index and top 10pc for gestation length and 7.2pc IMF.
Mak Agriculture also purchased this bull's full embryo transfer brother, Battalion Extreme T228, 686kg with 7.1pc IMF for $6000.
Another full ET brother, Battalion Eclipse T218 - a favourite of many in the yards, including district veterinarian and embryo technician Udo Mahne who literally had a hand in his production - sold to volume buyers Paul and Stephanie Laycock, High Country Rural, Linville, Qld, for the second highest bull price of $26,000.
Weighing 802kg at 19 months, the bull scanned 7pc IMF and 128 square centimetres of eye muscle area which lit up the Breedplan board with top 5pc for growth, carcase weight, EMA and domestic maternal and terminal indexes, while maintaining top 10pc for IMF.
The father and daughter team also bought the bull Battalion Hustler T233 by Notta 18 Hawkeye for $12,000, with top 5pc figures for scrotal size and presenting with the largest diameter of the draft at 43 centimetres.
High Country Rural also came away with four heifers to $20,000 for one of five top retained T-drop females offered in a genetics partnership with the breeder, including 25 guaranteed embryos.
They also purchased all the embryo packages.
"There was a lot of consistency in the draft," said Ms Laycock.
"We were impressed with the breeders' commercial focus which makes these genetics very relevant."
The selection of females with their Battalion bull will enter an invitro fertilisation program with semen and embryos marketed at a later date.
Principal Battalion breeders Grant and Kylie Kneipp, Dundee, said the sale result was "reward for sticking true to type".
"We stack our pedigrees to the same type," explained Mr Kneipp.
"We work out what works, replicate that and tweak it."
The sale was conducted by Colin Say and Co, Glen Innes, with Paul Dooley as auctioneer.
