Dorroughby Speckle Park invitational sale achieves 100 per cent clearance

Offering genetics from the Dorroughby stud, as well as invited vendors Pinnacle Park Speckles, Beth Vide Speckle Parks and Adelson Speckle Parks, the sale saw all 26 bulls sold for an average of $14,846, while 13 heifers cleared for a $16,462 average.

Topping the sale at $30,000 was Dorroughby Ridge R11, a bull by Underhill All Out 1D and out of Tiama Luna.

He was knocked down to North Queensland graziers Tom and Karen Murphy, Benbullen, Seaforth.

At 17 months of age, the leopard-coloured sire prospect tipped the scales at 670 kilograms, scanned 113 square centimetres for eye muscle area, 9mm and 13mm, respectively, at the rib and rump, and had an intramuscular fat percentage of 6.6.

Measuring 35cm in the scrotum, he had a morphology of 84pc and motility of 85pc.

Mr Murphy said they were drawn to the Speckle Park breed for the fertility and temperament.

"We've got commercial cows, Brahman and Droughties, and these will put a bit of colour into them," he said.

"[Dorroughby Ridge R11] is a good little polled bull, good topline, and we liked him for his length and temperament."

Turning their progeny off to feedlots and live export boats, Mr Murphy said the Speckle Park-cross would be targeted into the feedlots.

The Murphys put together a draft of four new sires for an average of $20,500.

A second-top price of $24,000 was paid by the Miller family, Rhondu stud, Mingela, for Dorroughby Ranger R27.

A full brother to the top seller, the 17-month-old, speckle-coloured sire prospect weighed 640kg, scanned 110sq cm for EMA, with rib and rump fat of 10mm and 12mm, respectively, IMF of 7.3pc, and measured 33cm in the scrotum.

Demand and online activity kicked up a notch when it came time for the heifer portion of the catalogue to go under the hammer.

Topping the heifer market at $28,000 was David and Lizette Basson's Adelson Kelly Q12.

Purchased by Ivery Downs Cattle Co, Colinton, the 24-month-old was not on-property for the sale, having been about to drop a calf by Mount Eccles Adam P11, which sold earlier in the catalogue for $17,000.

By Notta Romeo 64R and out of White Acres Katie, the 534kg homozygous polled heifer had estimated breeding values of +1.9 for birth weight, +27 for 600-day weight, maternal cow weight of +22, and milk of +6.

Ms Basson said they were sad to part with the striking heifer, who they were only going to let go for a certain price.

"I knew she was going to be something, but I didn't think she would go that high," Ms Basson said.

"She's just unbelievably beautiful, so beautiful and feminine, and there's no words to describe that.

"There's not one female here that you can compare with her."

The Adelson stud also sold the second-top priced heifer, with Adelson Beulah R4 knocked down to Sowden Speckle Park for $24,000.

The 12-month-old was sired by Andchris Extreme 23E and out of Mount Eccles P04. Her grand dam, Mt Eccles Queen Alone, was one of the top prized cows at the dispersal sale of the Mount Eccles Speckles stud, selling for $24,200.

Wattle Grove Speckle Park stud seized the opportunity to purchase a flush from the reserve world champion Speckle Park female, AAA Unique Destiny L5, paying $16,000.

Embryo lots averaged $1276 per embryo and topped at $1500/embryo for a package of four embryos from sire Andchris Extreme 23E and dam Mount Eccles P04, purchased by Warrener Ag, Mount Tyson.

Semen lots averaged $377/straw, topping at $525/straw for two packages of five straws from Wolf Lake Field Ready 52F.

Offered by Beth Vide Speckle Park stud, the two packages were purchased by the Van der Drifts, Black Diamond Speckle Park stud, Macorna, Victoria.

A charity lot saw Shadow Valley Speckles, Gin Gin, pay $350/straw for two straws each from Underhill All Out 1D, Promised Land Eldorado P164, Wolf Lake Field Ready 52F and Rose Hill Montagu M39, with all proceeds being donated to the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre.