Bulk buyer takes home top bull at the 2025 Valera Vale Droughtmasters sale

Two buyers took home more than half the lots at the 2025 Valera Vale Droughtmasters bull and female sale, including the top-price bull.

About 100 people filled the stands at Avilion, west of Warwick, on a windy Thursday, September 11.

Bidders joined in person and online from local areas, west to Charleville and Cunnamulla, central Queensland, and north to Charters Towers.

All 102 bulls offered sold through the ring for a 100 per cent clearance, and an average price of $6451, helping to deliver a gross sale value of $742,500.

By comparison, 81 of 86 bulls sold in 2024 for a clearance of 94pc, an average of $7740, and a top price of $26,000.

Fierce bidding saw the first four lots go for $8,000 to $14,000, and there was rarely a few seconds' pause before a first bid was made on each lot.

Kooringal Pastoral Company principal Fred Noffke, based at Rolleston, bought lot 23, Valera Vale 24331M, for the top price of $18,000.

He was 23 months old, homozygous polled, and weighed 780 kilograms.

He had an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, scrotal circumference of 38cm, intramuscular fat of 5.2 per cent, as well as P8 and rib fat measurements of 12 and 10 millimetres.

Mr Noffke took home 16 bulls for an average of $9750, and bought the largest number of heifers through the ring: 31 for an average of $1637.

A repeat buyer at the Valera Vale Droughtmasters sale, Mr Noffke said he was always looking to increase his herd numbers when possible.

"The Flynn family has done a wonderful job breeding these bulls, and I have a lot of respect for the history and credibility behind their operation," Mr Noffke said.

"I liked the polled genetics and good fertility of the bulls on offer today.

"There are about 500 replacement heifers in the paddock to join them with, mostly Droughtmasters.

"We will see how the top-price bull goes in the paddock first before we decide which mob to join him with."

Valera Vale 24331M was by Valera Vale 21261 and out of Valera Vale 21645, who had produced two calves in two years and was pregnancy tested in calf at the time of writing.

Valera Vale Droughtmasters principal Michael Flynn said sire verifying bulls had been a significant step forward for his family's operation.

"We've been able to increase the selection pressure through both genomic testing and sire verifying calves that come from paddocks with multiple bulls," Mr Flynn said.

"This is a big effort when you're producing 2000 to 2500 calves per year.

"Female reproductive fertility is a priority, but we have also been working on adaptive genes and breeding more muscle in recent years.

"We thought the bulls on offer today were among the best we have bred.

"And we were pleased that there was good value on offer for buyers."

Brent Smoothy and family of Smoothy Cattle Co, based in the Pilbara, Western Australia, bought the largest number of bulls through the ring, with 39 head at an average of $5000.

The Smoothys' buyer and Valera Vale representative, Nikki Cleary, said the family had put in a similar order at each of the past 10 sales, generally preferring Droughtmasters with darker coats and higher Brahman content.

Elders Toowoomba studstock agent Michael Smith said it was pleasing to see repeat buyers make up 80 to 90 per cent of the crowd.

"Droughtmaster bulls have performed reasonably well this selling season, with quality recognised and value on offer," Mr Smith said.

"We saw first-time bidders from around the Scenic Rim and Southern Downs here today.

"It has helped that Valera Vale Droughtmasters established a presence in the local community long before making the decision to move the sale from Charleville to Greymare."

A total of 48 of 51 heifers sold through the ring for a 94pc clearance and an average of $1760.

Granite Downs Droughtmaster Stud principal Judi Cullen bought the top-price female, Valera Vale 25078F, for $3250.

• Agents: Elders, Nutrien, and StockLive.