NSW stud takes home top-price lot at 2025 Glenlea Beef Roma Bull sale
A seven-hour drive to secure North American genetics paid off for the top-price bull buyer at the 2025 Glenlea Beef Roma Bull sale on Wednesday, September 17.
Held at the Roma Saleyards, this was the first year Glenlea Beef stud principal Rodrick Binny offered female lots alongside his bulls.
One bull at the sale was offered by Mitch Reeding, Moondoogundi Charolais, Mudgee, NSW.
Overall, 54 out of the 55 lots sold for a 98 per cent clearance, a $9600 average, and $528,000 gross.
In a further breakdown, all 45 bulls sold for 100 per cent clearance and a $10,511 average.
Of the female lots, all six cows sold for a 100 per cent clearance and a $7000 average, while three out of four heifer lots sold for a 75 per cent clearance and a $4333 average.
This year's sale showed a substantial improvement from 2024, where 59 of 64 bulls sold for a 92 per cent clearance and a $7459 average.
The top-price bull at the 2025 sale, Taylor Glenlea Jehu U34, sold for $18,000 to Tony Farrell, Calmview Charolais, Fernleigh, NSW.
The 22-month-old bull weighed in at 852kg and had an eye muscle area of 137 square centimetres, with 7mm rib fat, 13mm rump fat, and an intramuscular fat percentage of 4.8.
He was sired by SCX Jehu 233E and out of Glenlea Refine 3RD.
Buyer Tony Farrell said the bull's Canadian genetics led him to make the seven-hour journey to Roma.
"What brought me to the sale was the Canadian sire, Jehu," Mr Farrell said.
"[Mr Binny] imported the semen to Australia, and where I'm at with my breeding program, I needed a bull with a bit of that North American influence.
"I came with the idea of trying to pick up one of those North American sons."
Based in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Mr Farrell hoped Taylor Genlea Jehu U34's EBV data would advantage his herd.
"We have about 1000 acres [at Calmview], and we run about 158 registered Charolais females," Mr Farrell said.
"We turn off bulls each year and cater for our local market.
"[Taylor Genlea Jehu U34], he's clearly got the softness, the eye muscle area, the intramuscular fat; he's quite strong in all of those.
"He's quite slick-coated as well, which is ideal for our environment, as it's pretty punishing down there when it wants to be."
Mr Farrell said his new bull would spend a few weeks in the paddock before being put out with a mob of cows.
The top-price female, Maw Mary 1st, sold for $10,000 to MW Birt, Sesbanie, Corfield, with an eight-month-old calf at foot.
The 760kg cow was sold eight weeks preg-tested-in-calf with her third calf.
She was sired by Ascot Milestone M622E and out of Ascot Mary P16E.
Glenlea stud principal Rodrick Binny said he was pleased with how the females sold for their first offering at Roma.
"It was an experiment to offer females here at Roma," he said.
"We'll be doing it again.
"We had an extremely difficult preparation time with those being prepared at Casino [NSW] through this winter, which has been the wettest winter on the North Coast for a generation.
"We almost gave up, but I'm glad we didn't."
Mr Binny said the results at Roma capped off a successful sale season, with the Glenlea Beef sale at Winton, held on Friday, July 18, also achieving record-breaking results.
He attributed more interest in the Glenlea Beef name as a contributing factor to the improved sale results.
"Our growing brand awareness for producing performance cattle with a balanced carcase and easy finishing [was a factor]," he said.
"That's really coming through for all our repeat clients, and the new clients coming in."
Bulk buyers at the sale included Hartley Grazing, Coopermurra, Mitchell, who purchased 10 bulls for an average of $9900, and Gardner and Sons, Charleville, who bought five females plus progeny for an average of $6300.
- Selling agents: Elders
