Reds match greys for top price at Rocky All Stars Elite Brahman Female Sale

A Grey Brahman cow and calf unit was equal top with a Red Brahman at this year's Rocky All Stars Elite Brahman female sale.

Starting the sale on Saturday, March 15, at CQLX Gracemere, the cow and calf unit, Glengarry S Duchess 3308, was first up from Glengarry Cattle Co, Kunwarara. They were bought by Michael Ingram, Little Wyntoon, Rockhampton.

Mr Ingram paid $16,000 for the heifer calf and cow, which was sired by MR V8 Noble 458 and was out of Glengarry Duchess 2190.

Glengarry S Duchess 3308 was described as "a large-framed, white matron which has length, oozes feminity and has a great udder".

Also fetching $16,000 was a Red Brahman, Stockham Dienka 644, from Christopher McCarthy, Stockman Red Brahmans, East Haldon.

Stockham Dienka 644 is the daughter of Kariboe Valley Ventura 1161 and was out of Stockman Dienka 471.

The 17-month-old polled unjoined heifer was described as "soft, bombproof temperament, easy doing with abundant bone and breed character".

She was bought online and was the only purchase of Brian Hughes, Lanes Creek Brahmans, Georgetown.

Mr Ingram said he bought the 50-month, horned cow, Glengarry S Duchess 3308, because he liked her thickness and she had a really nice heifer at foot.

A repeat buyer of Glengarry Cattle Co, Mr Ingram said the cow would go back to Glengarry and be joined with one of Scott Angel's top bulls, while the heifer would be sold.

Also from Glengarry Cattle Co, Mr Ingram bought another cow and calf unit, Glengarry S Justine 3324 for $11,000, and a 14-month heifer, Glengarry S Miss Heart 3538 for $13,000.

Mr Angel, who has been a vendor at the annual sale for the past 10 years, said he was pretty happy with his results.

Offering up eight red heifers, Mr McCarthy said the top priced heifer was special because of her breeding.

"She's (sired) by Ventura which is a new up and coming bull which was (sold for) $120,000 (at Big Country Brahman Sale), we bought semen from him, he's a homozygous poll bull that we've been using and he's very popular at the moment," he said.

"Brian Hughes just sold a heap of Ventura bulls at Big Country and went quite well and he obviously knows the cattle, he knows the dam line that goes back to Dianka 1510, he knows that cow."

Mr McCarthy said the heifer's appeal for a buyer was also her temperament, length and bone, she was very correct, and her mother had an absolutely perfect udder and teats.

"Across the board, she was quite faultless really," he said.

For this year's sale, the gross was $328,000 with 52 of 63 females selling for a clearance rate of 83pc and an average of $6307. With the genetics included, the sale grossed $337,500.

For the Grey Brahmans, 23 out of 31 sold for a clearance rate of 74 per cent, an average of $6500 and a gross of $149,500.

In the line of Red Brahmans, 29 from 32 sold for a clearance of 90 per cent, an average of $6345 and a gross of $184,000.

Elders Stud Stock manager for Queensland and the Northern Territory, Michael Smith, said the sale had a solid enough result.

"There's a bit of uncertainty around in the market in general at the moment, but we're pleased with the result," he said.

"I was pleased enough with the clearance rate, but like I say, the stud sales that we've conducted for the calender year for 2025 there's been some tough days in amongst it so to clear 75 to 80 per cent of the cattle, we're reasonably happy with that.

"And the averages - a bit over $6000 average - it's always good to have a bit more, but from a buyer's point of view, people can come here to this sale and buy good quality females at an affordable price."

Mr Smith said there were females on sale in the Rocky All Stars to suit a multitude of different markets.

As well as selling six heifers, BJ Streeter sold two semen packages of five straws and five registrations in Elmo Samurai which was purchased privately at Beef 2021 for $80,000. The first semen package sold for $2000 while the second fetched $1500. She also sold an IVF Aspiration from Palmvale Tina 4335 for $6000 with a guarantee of six fertilised eggs with the buyer paying the cost of IVF.

Last year, the top priced grey heifer, EL JA Alana Manso 5599/2, from EL JA Brahmans made $32,500 while the top priced red heifer, Stockman Red Opal 619, from Christopher McCarthy made $19,000.

In 2024, 73 of 90 females were sold by 16 vendors for a combined sale average of $6866, a clearance rate of 81 per cent and a gross of $477,000.

Of the 57 grey cattle offered in 2024, 47 sold for a clearance of 82 per cent and an average of $6302, while 30 of the 33 reds sold to a clearance of 90 per cent and an average of $6866.

At this year's sale, there were 16 vendors and buyers were from as far north as Georgetown and as far south as Grafton.

Vendor averages under the hammer:

• Les and Helen Donald, EL JA, Theodore: 8/11 sold, $5000 average
  
• Scott Angel, Glengarry Cattle Co, Kunwarara: 10/11 sold, $8050 average
• Christoper McCarthy, Stockman Red Brahmans, East Haldon: 7/8 sold, $6285 average
• BJ Streeter, Palmvale, Marlborough: 6/6 sold, $5750 average
  
• Andrew and Campbell Hill, Shawnee, Nundle, NSW: 5/5 sold, $5500 average

Agents: Elders Stud Stock, simulcast on Stocklive