Yulgilbar Santa Gertrudis stud equalled last year's top sale price of $41,000 for the poll Nebraska N134 by Cardona Patterson at its annual bull and female sale on Friday, an unseasonably warm day with a red sun filtered by smoke from disastrous fires near Tenterfield and Drake.
Queensland stud and grazier interest prevailed, as before, with liberal bidding for particular bulls enjoying solid competition.
Yulgilbar has enjoyed some fame this past show season, as reflected in the tender steak sandwiches, comprising the winning pen of six at Brisbane Royal.
A few buyers from north of the border have escaped with a good enough season while others are not nearly so fortunate and yet the confidence in future beef was clear as the bids kept coming - $30,000 for Yulgilbar Nashville, another son of Cardona Patterson, going to Jamar stud at Yamala, Qld, followed by a $24,000 bid for Yulgilbar Navigator N214, by Cardona Nardoo, going to the Atkinson family, Cardona Santa Gertrudis stud, Blackwater.
The stud achieved a near perfect clearance of 95 bulls, with 93 sold for a $7021 average.
More than a dozen bulls sold for more than $10,000.
Top bidder of the $41,000 bull, Ian Walker, buying for Ravensbourne Station's Strathmore Santa Gertrudis stud, said he liked Yulgilbar Nebraska's sire, Cardona Patterson, because of the way he threw consistent progeny.
He bought Yulgilbar Newport N146, also by Cardona Patterson, for $18,000.
"They're all of a type," he said, noting they would fit well into an organic, grass fed operation incorporating 500 breeders plus stud cattle.
The resilient under-bidder to top priced Nebraska was Rick Greenup, Cardowan, Kumbia via Kingaroy, Qld, who instead bought the poll Riverina Nebo Riv-N018, also by Cardona Patterson, for the Cardowan stud herd at Eidsvold Station in the heart of North Burnett cattle country.
Top female sold for $14,000, going to Nioa Pastoral, Allora, Qld where the season has not been kind. Their recent purchase of milky barley hay at $650 a tonne only highlights that fact.
But the real steal was the $50,000 sale the night before of the poll Yulgilbar Nightingale, by the 2016 US national champion bull 777 Vegas and this year's reserve senior champion at Brisbane Royal, with calf by last year's sale topper Yulgilbar Lieutenant L68, going to Black Gold Santa Gertrudis stud based at Yamba.
Volume buyer Craig Leggett, Rocky Bank Station, Roma, took home 19 bulls to be used on properties owned by Gina Hancock and, in part, by S Kidman and Company.
"We are looking for moderate growth and some softness," he said, pointing out the bulls would be put to straight Santa and Santa cross cows
Another volume buyer, repeat client Tim Kirkwood, Disney, at Clermont, bought 11 bulls. The Disney property has historic links to King Ranch in Texas, where Sara Myers' grandfather Sam Hordern sourced his early Yulgilbar genetics but Mr Kirkwood said the current interest had more to do with good poll genetics, rather than a loyalty to the past.
Plenty of sires were sold locally, from the Macleay to the Upper Richmond and west to the granite tops of New England. Others went to the central west.
Norm Black formerly Trip-A-Deal and now Ayrdale Santa Gertrudis Stud at Federal, bought Riverina Niagara by 777 Vegas for $7000 along with the female Yulgilbar Nifty by Glen oaks Jabba for $8500. His last year's purchase of Yulgilbar Lucinda for $25,000 has already donated 12 progeny while her bull calf at foot, Yulgilbar Playboy, is looking like his namesake.
"We thought we'd buy here again to add to the development of our little stud," Mr Black said.
Repeat buyer Pee Dee Station on the Upper Macleay bought three bulls including Riverina Nemo by Talgai Hurricane for $6000.
"Yulgilbar bulls fit our country to a tee," Pee Dee's Alan Griffin said.
The Yulgilbar sale was promoted by George and Fuhrmann with Innes Fahey as auctioneer.
