LAST week’s Fitzroy Crossing Invitation Bos Indicus Bull Sale may have been dominated by Queensland-bred bulls but it was a WA-based Droughtmaster stud which shone the brightest in both the top price and average stakes.
Buying support from throughout the Kimberley, down through the Pilbara and even further south pushed prices to a sale high $13,000 in the Droughtmaster run for a Munda Reds sire.
All up 212 bulls representing five breeds were offered and sold by Landmark in the marathon sale for an average of $4193, which was back $815 on last year’s sale when 198 bulls were offered and sold for an average of $5008.
All five breeds attracted strong competition from 31 registered buyers, six more than last year, which once again helped the sale achieve a 100 per cent clearance.
Landmark auctioneer Tiny Holly said overall the sale was a success.
“It is always excellent to achieve a total clearance, though the result was slightly back on last year which was probably forseeable,” Mr Holly said.
“The flavour of the month was the Brahmans, though all breeds sold well and the catalogue was full of quality bulls.
“The quality we see each year at the Fitzroy sale only continues to improve and that is a real credit to the breeders and transporters who present the cattle in such good condition, especially considering the amount of travel they do to get to the sale.”
Mr Holly said agents took an increased number of registrations for the sale and buyers knew what they wanted, with plenty of competition throughout the day.
Once again it was a Droughtmaster bull that topped the sale at $13,000, but unlike past years where the bull has come from a Queensland-based stud, this year it came from first-time sale vendor and WA breeder Mike Thompson, Munda Reds stud, Gingin and Port Hedland.
After some quick-fire bidding between a number of parties, Munda Bind, in lot 210, was knocked down to Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation, Karratha station, Karratha.
The 22-month-old polled, Bind, is sired by homozygous polled bull, Garthowen Velocity, which was purchased by the Munda Reds stud for the third top price at the 2015 National Droughtmaster Sale and out of Comanche 4461.
Not only did Mr Thompson sell the top-priced bull, he also recorded the best stud average in the sale at $9028 for his team of nine bulls offered and sold.
Along with the $13,000 bull, Munda Reds sold another two bulls for five figure values.
The first of these was the 21mo polled Munda Bold which sold for $10,000 to Jubilee Downs, Fitzroy Crossing.
The 22mo polled Munda Boiler also created a stir among buyers before it was also knocked down at $10,000 to Mia Mia station, Carnarvon.
Both bulls were sired by Kapalee 2112.
Along with securing Munda Bold, Jubilee Downs purchased Garthowen Velocity sons, Munda Boss and Munda Banta, both at $9000.
The three other Munda bulls to sell sold at $7250 to JR & DJ Motter, Badgingarra; $6750 to WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd, Fiztroy Crossing, and $6750 to DL & GM Robinson, Carnarvon.
Mr Holly said the Munda Reds team presented an excellent line-up of bulls with quiet temperaments for their first appearance at the fixture.
“The quality of those bulls was reflected by strong interest from buyers out of the Kimberley and Pilbara regions,” Mr Holly said.
Mr Thompson said while the sale was back compared to last year, his stud had an excellent sale with WA genetics.
He thanked everyone for their support and commended the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation, Karratha station board, management and staff on sourcing top genetics for future breeding and their long term outlook as pastoralists.
p Red Brahman
The red Brahman bulls kicked off the sale and in this section four vendors offered 67 bulls, the largest offering in the sale.
By the end of the run all 67 bulls had been sold for an average of $3228, which was down $1721 on last year.
The top price in the run was $4500 paid by KS & WA Brockhurst, Larrawa station, Fitzroy Crossing, for a 22mo polled sire offered by the Muan stud, Biggenden, Queensland.
The bull, which was sired by MT Callan Govenor 7/06 (AI) (P), was one of 17 sold by Muan at an average of $3382.
Other major buyers in the Muan run were NE Dahl & LJ Craig, Sophie Downs station, Halls Creek, who purchased three to $4000 (twice) and Yeeda Pastoral, Broome, which purchased five all at $3000.
Samari Plains stud, Roma, Queensland, was the next to offer and it cleared its 19 sires to a $4000 top.
Samari Plains’ top-priced bull was purchased by Meda & Blina stations, Derby, which also secured another three Samari Plains bulls at $3250 (twice) and $3000.
Yeeda Pastoral again purchased numbers to finish with eight Samari Plains bulls all at $3000.
Barlyne stud, Gayndah, Queensland, was the largest vendor in the section with a team of 21, which all sold for an average of $3167.
The Barlyne team topped at $3750 on three occasions.
JR & PM Grey, Broome, purchased one of the $3750 bulls along with three more at $3250 and $3000 (twice), while the other two were purchased by Ruby Plains station, Halls Creek and Bloodwood Pastoral, Halls Creek.
Yeeda Pastoral was the volume buyer in the Barlyne run, picking up nine all at $3000.
The Red Brahman run was rounded out by the Rodlyn stud, Bell, Queensland, which offered and sold 10 bulls to a top of $3750 and an average of $3500.
The top-priced Rodlyn bull was purchased by Meda station, Derby, which also purchased a second Rodlyn bull at $3250.
p Queenslander
Next into the ring was a quality run of Queenslander bulls offered by three vendors.
In total 28 Queenslander sires went through the ring and all sold to a top of $4000 on five occasions and an average of $3313.
In comparison in last year’s sale, 31 Queenslanders were offered and sold for an average of $4726, meaning this year’s average was down $1413.
The Barlyne stud had the biggest team in the run with 22 bulls on offer and all found new homes.
The five bulls which sold for the breed’s $4000 top price were all from the Barlyne stud.
Three of them were purchased by WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd, who also collected another three at $3250 (twice) and $3000.
The other two were purchased by Camp Cattle Co, Derby.
Yeeda Pastoral and Noonkanbah station, Broome, were volume buyers in the Barlyne offering, purchasing five and four bulls respectively at $3000.
Muan stud offered and sold three Queenslanders with two going to Mandora Cattle Co, Port Hedland, at $3250.
Samari Plains offered three Queenslander bulls and sold them all – two at $3500 and one at $3000.
The two which sold at $3500 were purchased by Wyloo station, Carnarvon and Mia Mia station, Carnarvon.
p Grey Brahman
The grey Brahmans were next into the ring and three studs offered and sold 49 sires for an average of $4873 and to a top of $7500.
In comparison in last year’s sale, 40 grey Brahman bulls were offered and sold for an average of $5019, meaning this year’s average was back $143.
Achieving the breed’s $7500 top price was the Rathlyn stud, Emerald, Queensland, when Reg and Carol Teakle, Oakvale stud, Northampton, had the final bid on the Rathlyn bull.
Leading the way for the Rathlyn stud was the 21mo scurred Rathlyn Isaac, which was by Rathlyn 11400.
The next best price in the Rathlyn team was $7000 for a 22mo horned bull sired by 2AM4651 Nixon (P) paid by Yakka Munga station, Broome.
The operation also purchased another three bulls from Rathlyn at $6500 (twice) and $6250.
NE Dahl & LJ Craig, were also strong buyers in the Rathlyn team purchasing two bulls at $6500.
All up the Rathlyn stud offered and sold nine bulls for a $5861 average.
The Bar Boot stud, Boyneside, Queensland, offered and sold 18 grey Brahmans to a top of $7000 and an average of $5111.
The $7000 top-priced Bar Boot bull was purchased by KS & WA Brockhurst, who also took a second Bar Boot bull at $6500.
Yakka Munga was also a strong supporter of the Bar Boot team, purchasing seven bulls including one at $6750 and one at $6000.
The largest vendor in the section was the Ahern stud, Gayndah, with a team of 22 which all sold for an average of $4273.
The Ahern team topped at $6250 for a 20mo horned bull when it was purchased by Kapco Performance.
The $6250 bull was just one of eight bulls purchased at an average of $4563 from Ahern by Kapco Performance.
The other volume buyer in the Ahern team was Damian & Kirsty Forshaw, Nita Downs, Broome, who purchased five bulls to a top of $4500 and an average of $3800.
p Droughtmaster
Not only did the sale’s top-priced bull come from the Droughtmaster section, it also had the second largest offering of bulls.
Six vendors this year offered 55 Droughtmaster bulls and by the end of the run all had found new homes at an average of $4973, which was back only $2 on last year’s result.
The Sevenell & Lynsey Park stud, Bell, was the second best performer in the Droughtmaster section behind Munda Reds when it offered and sold 10 bulls to a top of $6750 (twice) and an average of $5000.
Jubilee Downs snapped up both the $6750 top-priced bulls from Sevenell & Lynsey Park along with another three to finish with a team of five at an average of $5650.
WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd was also a multiple buyer of bulls from the stud securing two at $5000 and $4500.
The Rodlyn stud also offered and sold 10 Droughtmasters and finished with an average of $4050 across its team which topped at $6000.
WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd secured Rodlyn’s $6000 top-priced bull plus another two at $5750 and $4000.
Last year’s top-priced vendor SC Droughtmasters, Yaamba, Queensland, offered and sold eight bulls to a top of $6500 and an average of $4531, the third best average in the breed.
SC Droughtmasters $6500 top-priced bull was purchased by WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd.
The operation also purchased another four bulls from the stud to finish with a team of five at an average of $4400.
The largest vendor in the Droughtmaster section was the Valera Vale stud, Charleville, Queensland, which offered and sold 11 bulls to a top of $4750 and an average of $3932.
Once again it was WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd who secured the stud’s top-priced bull at $4750.
The operation also paid $4500 for another Valera Vale bull.
Mandora Cattle Co, Port Hedland, was the volume buyer in the Valera Vale run securing six sires to a top of $4250 twice.
Wynwood & Windy Gully stud, Bell, returned this year to offer and sell seven Droughtmasters.
It averaged $3179 across its team of seven which topped at $3500 (twice).
The two $3500 bulls were purchased by WNM MacDonald Pty Ltd and Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation.
p Charbray
The Charbray breed was the second last into the ring and in this section three vendors offered and sold five bulls to a top of $5750 and an average of $5350.
The breed’s average was up $373 on last year’s sale when 11 Charbray bulls were offered and sold for an average of $4977.
The $5750 top-priced bull was sold by the Rodlyn stud and was purchased by Jubilee Downs.
Samari Plains’ offering of Charbrays consisted of two sires and both sold at $5500 to DL & GM Robinson, Carnarvon.
The Bar Boot stud also offered and sold two Charbray bulls for $5000 each to DL & GM Robinson.
p Red Brangus
The Red Brangus breed rounded out the sale and the Redline stud, Eidsvold, Queensland, was the only vendor in the breed.
The stud offered and sold eight bulls to a top of $6000 (twice) and an average of $5125.
Liveringa Station Beef, Nerrima station, Derby, purchased both the $6000 top-priced bulls which were polled sires by Doonside 1669 (P).
The operation also purchased another four Redline sires to finish with a team of six at an average of $4917.