Big Country catalogue features progeny of notable sires

A cracking 375-lot draft has been catalogued for this year's Big Country Brahman Sale to be held at the Dalrymple Saleyards, Charters Towers on Monday, February 3, and Tuesday, February 4, from 9am each day.

For Big Country 2025, 50 vendors will offer 136 red bulls and 100 heifers on day one of the sale, followed by 139 grey bulls on day two.

Several well-regarded seedstock Brahman breeders will make their return to the sale this year as vendors including the Clukan Stud, which claimed top price honours at Big Country 2022 in the red ($125,000) and grey sections ($160,000).

These Big Country veterans will be joined by first-time sale vendors, Jomanda stud, Grafton, NSW; Malabar stud, Marburg; Crown JA stud, Dulacca; Cooranga stud, Gayndah, and the Badilla stud, Ingham.

Sale coordinator Shaun Flanagan, Queensland Rural, said while the grey bulls to be offered are of the usual high standard expected at Big Country, the red bull selection was "second-to-none".

"The Rockhampton Brahman Week Sale (RBWS) and Big Country are the main sales for red Brahmans each year, and we got our share of top reds this year, including the broadribbon calf champion bull at Beef 2024, Radella Bicardi," Mr Flanagan said.

He said there will be something for everyone in this year's heifer lineup.

"There will be first-rate stud heifers available, through to those ideal for herd bull producers. There will be a large run of unjoined heifer from the Lanes Creek Stud, Georgetown."

Several notable sires are well represented through the draft including Rockley Magnar, the $90,000 top-price red of Big Country 2021, the 2018 Ekka grand champion Brahman bull Banana Station Manly 69, and Clukan Baobab 365/8, which sold for $210,000 at the 2020 RBWS.

"Seeing Kariboe Valley Ventura 1161/0 calves coming back through the ring in Charters Towers is great to see as Ventura sold for $120,000 at Big Country 2022," he said.

"The catalogue is littered with progeny from dams that were sold through Big Country, which highlights that this sale produces stud cattle."

Mr Flanagan said Queensland Rural had a solid base to build on when the agency took the reins of Big Country.

"There has always been a quality offering for Big Country. We've gone to great lengths to ensure every lot has been thoroughly inspected to ensure they meet specific benchmarks so buyers can bid with confidence on the days," he said.

"We offer fixed-price delivery of Big Country purchases to major centres from Cloncurry to Roma. We've also highlighted in the catalogue if each bull is sire/dam or parent verified."

He said the 2024 result was in line with the overall cattle market at the time.

"We had buyers from Katherine in the Northern Territory, down to New South Wales, and from as far north in Queensland as Mareeba and Atherton and south to the Darling Downs," he said.

Those unable to attend the 2025 Big Country sale in person can bid online via the Stocklive platform. Stocklive will also keep viewers up-to-date on the bidding at the inaugural Gener8 Reproduction Big Country Genetics Sale.

The lots selected for the sale can be inspected from Sunday, February 2.

All vendors, prospective buyers, and other interested parties are invited to attend the Big Country Studmaster and Cattlemens Function to be held at The Rix Hotel from 6pm on Monday, February 3, after the dust settles on the first day of the sale.