Marellan Shorthorn bull sale tops $28,000 at Emerald with full clearance
Summary
All 45 bulls offered sold at the 13th annual Marellan Shorthorns on-property sale at Emerald on Tuesday, September 29, giving a 100 per cent clearance at an average of $14,311 and a gross of $644,000. The average represented an increase of 23.67 per cent on the previous year, and all but two bulls sold to commercial buyers.
By comparison, the 2025 sale saw 52 of 55 bulls sell for a 94 per cent clearance at an $11,576 average, with a top price of $36,000. The 2026 result therefore lifted clearance and average while the top price eased.
The top price of $28,000 was paid online by Mt Douglas Pastoral, Clermont, for Marellan Bullseye, the first bull of the sale. The 29-month-old roan poll bull was sired by Marellan United N6 and out of Marella Estera R105. It weighed 806 kilograms with P8 and rib fat of 11 and 8 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 128 square centimetres, a scrotal circumference of 39 centimetres, an intramuscular fat measurement of 6.7 per cent and motility of 80 per cent.
Volume buyers Islay Plains, Alpha, took 10 bulls at a $13,600 average. The two bulls that sold to Shorthorn studs went south to the Dubbo region in New South Wales, with Royalla Shorthorns paying the second-top price of $24,000. Hoch & Wilkinson, Clermont, conducted the sale.
Key Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Bulls offered and sold | 45 (100 per cent clearance) |
| Sale average | $14,311 |
| Sale gross | $644,000 |
| Top price | $28,000 |
| Increase on last year's average | 23.67 per cent |
| Second-top price | $24,000 |
| 2025 bulls sold, clearance | 52 of 55 at 94 per cent |
| 2025 average | $11,576 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What did the Marellan Shorthorn bull sale top at?
The sale topped at $28,000 for Marellan Bullseye, the first bull offered, purchased online by Mt Douglas Pastoral, Clermont. The second-top price was $24,000. The average was $14,311.
What were the clearance and gross?
All 45 bulls offered sold, giving a 100 per cent clearance. The sale grossed $644,000.
How did the result compare with 2025?
In 2025, 52 of 55 bulls sold for a 94 per cent clearance at an $11,576 average, with a $36,000 top. The 2026 average rose 23.67 per cent and the clearance improved, while the top price eased.
What figures did the top-priced bull record?
The 29-month-old roan poll bull weighed 806 kilograms with P8 and rib fat of 11 and 8 millimetres respectively. It recorded an eye muscle area of 128 square centimetres, a scrotal circumference of 39 centimetres and an intramuscular fat measurement of 6.7 per cent. Its motility was 80 per cent.
Who bought the bulls?
All but two of the 45 bulls sold to commercial buyers. The two bulls that went to Shorthorn studs headed south to the Dubbo region in New South Wales, with Royalla Shorthorns paying $24,000 for Marellan Bonanza.
Who were the volume buyers?
Islay Plains, Alpha, took 10 bulls at a $13,600 average. That operation has bought at every on-property sale the stud has held at Emerald and runs an organic breeding and fattening enterprise across properties in the Channel Country and central Queensland.
Where did buyer support come from?
The stud reported strong support from producers in ticky country, ranging from Georgetown down to Eidsvold and across to Jundah in the west. The bulls are bred in central Queensland and acclimatised to heat, ticks and flies.
Will the stud increase numbers?
The stud reported having recently leased additional country and hoped to expand cattle numbers. Larger numbers were expected to filter through in a couple of years, with the operation noting a number of buyers at this sale were unsuccessful.
