Confidence in the Booragul Angus program was clear to see when a draft featuring their biggest line of homebred genetics proved so popular it achieved a stud record average of $13,730 on Thursday.
The Vincent family welcomed at least 100 registered bidders to their Piallaway property where all 63 Angus sires were cleared by auctioneer Paul Dooley.
He sold 43 two-year-old bulls to average $14,325 and 20 yearling bulls to average $12,250 with prices so solid the top price only reached $22,000.
The first 38 bulls failed to fall under a $10,000 benchmark and at the conclusion of the sale only six bulls sold below it.
The draft featured a larger than normal genetic offering due to a tough joining in 2019 and consequently almost half of the catalogue were by home bred sires.
But it paid off in the long run with the overall consistency of the draft receiving plenty of praise from those in attendance who watched the average skyrocket from $7968 last year.
All eyes were on the first 10 lots of the day but the top price came at lot 18 when Gordon Martin and family, Burrmanjai Pastoral, Willow Tree, paid $22,000 for Booragul Docklands Q72 who was in the top 15 per cent for net feed intake, carcase weight, eye muscle area and retail beef yield estimated breeding values.
The son of Booragul Docklands K18 was out of Booragul Glaze M39 and weighed 876 kilograms.
Mr Martin was a repeat buyer and runs a commercial Angus herd turning cattle off at 11 to 14 months.
They were currently running around 1700 breeders but after keeping heifers he expected they would be back to normal stocking rates in no time.
"We like the temperament of the cattle and we get the productivity out of them and I suppose if you get some good results, you come back for them don't you," he said.
"I just liked the conformation of him, the way he walked, the way he carried himself and I thought he was a pretty nice bull."
The $20,000 top price Autumn drop bull was Booragul Nobleman R55 purchased by G and S Rains, Mayfield, Birriwa.
Lynwood Pastoral Co, Cobbadah Station, Barraba also paid $20,000 for Booragul Leading Edge Q115 by Topbos Leading Edge L292 as did an Inverell AuctionsPlus buyer with Booragul General Q125.
Bongongo Angus, Coolac also paid $20,000 for Booragul Bronc Q112.
Booragul Momentus Q70, who was used at 11 months of age and was highly regarded by the stud later sold for $18,000 to Costello Pastoral, Walcha.
Also making $18,000 was Booragul Revenue Q36 to a James Bradford Rural client, Booragul Bronc Q99 to A and H Warden of Bernau Station at Loomberah, Booragul King Q71 and Booragul King Q96 to Lynwood Pastoral Co at Cobbadah Station in Barraba and Booragul Leading Edge Q91 to ANC Grazing Pty Ltd at Scone.
Fellow bulls at $18,000 included Booragul General Q159 to Lloyd and Jenny Brien of Willow Park at Cowra, Booragul Bronc Q114 and Booragul Marshall Q173 to Dempsey Pastoral Company at Koobah in Nundle, Booragul General Q177 to Wy Wurrie Partnership at Watson Creek, Booragul General Q145 to Woodridge Pastoral Company at Currabubula and Booragul Momentus R30 to Grant Family Partnership at Timbumburi.
Booragul stud principal Tim Vincent said the sale average was about $30 up on the previous record in 2017.
The highlight of the sale was the consistent prices, new faces and despite a lot of enquiry from AuctionsPlus, it was locals who went home successful.
"I didn't really know last night what bull was going to make the money because I knew there were three or four bull there I was looking at," he said.
He said their focus and commitment to use Australian-bred bulls was being recognised.
"I think we are finding we are getting a fair bit of interest because of our program...which is a pretty lose word but it's the way we chose to breed cattle," he said.
"Hardly any of it is bred out of the latest AI sire or AI bull, we don't go down that path unless I'm really confident.
"There is a lot of great stuff coming along. We have invested in the $140,000 Dunoon Prime Minister and the high price bull at Te Mania this year is going to walk here in a few months time so...that's a bit of the future coming on."
Bulk buyers were Dempsey Pastoral Company with four bulls along with Lynwood Pastoral Company.
There were 41 successful purchasers on the day and three bulls sold through AuctionsPlus.
The sale was conducted by Elders.
Read the full report in The Land next week.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
