2026 Lilydale Charolais invitational sale sets record with $22,000 top and $11,566 average on 96.8 per cent clearance
Summary
The 2026 Lilydale Charolais invitational sale posted what was described as its most successful year, with both the top price and the average lifting well beyond previous results at the Toogoolawah showgrounds in Queensland. A total of 31 of 32 bulls sold through the ring for a 96.8 per cent clearance, grossing $347,000 at an average of $11,566. That average comfortably surpassed the 2025 figure of $8281, when 54 of 55 bulls sold, and the earlier benchmark year when bulls averaged $10,565. Bidding was fierce from the outset, with eight of the first 10 lots making more than $10,000 each. The sale-topping bull reached $22,000, a 25-month-old polled Charolais weighing 880 kilograms with a 137 square centimetre eye muscle area, a 42-centimetre scrotal circumference and 4.8 per cent intramuscular fat. The second-top bull, also weighing 880 kilograms at 21 months and homozygous polled, sold for $20,000 and carried a 138 square centimetre eye muscle area with 6.3 per cent intramuscular fat, appealing to buyers who run Bos indicus cattle and want extra fat cover in their Charolais. A cow and calf pair sold for $4000. Strong local support came from the Brisbane Valley, Lockyer and Scenic Rim, alongside buyers from central and western districts, with leading vendor prefixes averaging between $8750 and $13,556 across the ring.
Key Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Bulls sold | 31 of 32 |
| Clearance rate | 96.8% |
| Average price | $11,566 |
| Sale gross | $347,000 |
| Top price | $22,000 |
| Second-top price | $20,000 |
| 2025 average | $8281 |
| Top bull weight | 880kg |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was the top price at the 2026 Lilydale Charolais sale?
The top price was $22,000. It was paid for a 25-month-old polled Charolais bull weighing 880 kilograms.
What were the clearance rate and average?
A total of 31 of 32 bulls sold for a 96.8 per cent clearance. The average was $11,566 and the sale grossed $347,000.
How did this sale compare with 2025?
In 2025, 54 of 55 bulls sold at a 98.2 per cent clearance for an average of $8281. The 2026 top price and average both improved on that year, and on an earlier benchmark average of $10,565.
What were the carcase figures of the top bull?
The top bull had a 137 square centimetre eye muscle area, a 42-centimetre scrotal circumference and 4.8 per cent intramuscular fat. Its P8 and rib fat measured six and five millimetres.
How much did the second-top bull make?
The second-top bull sold for $20,000. At 21 months and homozygous polled, it weighed 880 kilograms with a 138 square centimetre eye muscle area and 6.3 per cent intramuscular fat.
Why are these Charolais bulls suited to Bos indicus herds?
Buyers running Bos indicus cattle look for extra fat cover from their Charolais bulls. The second-top bull's higher intramuscular fat appealed to that market for producing Charbrays.
Did any females sell?
One cow and calf pair sold through the ring for $4000. The sale was primarily a bull offering.
