New life members sell top-price female at 2025 Cream of the Crop sale
A couple inducted as Droughtmaster Australia life members in 2025 have sold the top price heifer at the Cream of the Crop Droughtmaster female sale, fetching the highest price at the annual sale in at least six years.
About 100 people filled the stands at the Coolabunia saleyards near Kingaroy on Saturday, November 29, for the multivendor sale, including bidders from local areas around the Burnett and Gympie, central Queensland, and across the Downs.
A total of 48 females from 51 sold through the ring for a 94 per cent clearance, an average price of $6375, and a gross sale value of $306,000.
By comparison, 52 of 86 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a clearance of 60pc, average of $4894, and top of $12,000.
Fierce bidding throughout the sale saw eight unjoined heifers sell for $8000 or more, but top-price honours went to Yvonne and Brian Heck of the Bryvonlea Droughtmaster Stud near Gympie.
The Hecks sold Bryvonlea Sunshine to David Torrisi and family of the Vitwood Droughtmaster Stud at Susan River for the top price of $48,000.
It was the highest price fetched at the Cream of the Crop sale since at least 2020 by a margin of $22,000, and multiple attendees said they couldn't recall a higher price ever being paid for a female at the sale.
She was homozygous polled, unjoined, 13 months old, by Glenlands Cadella and out of Bryvonlea Susan.
Ms Heck said Sunshine's cow lines went back to one of the first cows the couple bought for their stud, from Glenlands Droughtmasters, in 1998.
"We credit her grandsire on the maternal side, Skye Wilfred, with putting more eye muscle area and length into our herd," Ms Heck said.
"Her dam has a great topline, strength and structure, but great femininity too.
"We have kept a couple of her five daughters in the breeding herd too, given their quality."
The Hecks were praised for their 27 years of service to the breed when Droughtmaster Australia leaders awarded them life memberships in April 2025.
Alongside the top price heifer, the Torrisi family bought the largest number of lots on the day, with five head for an average of $18,800, and the second-top-price heifer from Vale View Droughtmasters.
Mr Torrisi said he was looking for very correct females, and the Heck family, alongside other vendors, had done a wonderful job.
"We have picked up a few sires now, and the next task will be to sort through them," he said.
"The younger heifers will go with our weaners, while the more mature females will go out with the Sommer Stud bull we bought at the Roma Droughtmaster sale this year."
Colleen and Dave Smith of Vale View Droughtmasters at Manumbar sold Vale View Inga to the Torrisi family for $23,000, the second-top price.
She was homozygous polled, unjoined, 13 months old, by Huntly Drifter and out of Vale View Danette.
Mr Smith said Inga was the first Drifter daughter sold at auction, and one of the best heifers they had bred.
"Inga was the second calf out of Danette, and has her dam's length and thickness," Mr Smith said.
"Breeding market-relevant females is always a focus of our operation, alongside getting their structure right."
The firm commercial market and consistent rainfall in local areas at the time of writing helped deliver a good sale result, according to Grant Daniel Long agent Mark Duthie.
"There were plenty of repeat buyers in attendance today, bidding on a smaller number of heifers than last year," Mr Duthie said.
"We also saw more bidders than usual from areas on the Downs, such as Chinchilla and Jandowae."
- Selling agents: GDL, Aussie Land & Livestock, interfaced on Stocklive
Vendor averages
(For prefixes that sold at least two females under the hammer)
- 3D: 4/4, average $3875
- Bryvonlea: 2/2, average $28,500
- By-Mingo: 7/7, average $3786
- Kenview: 2/3, average $7000
- Major: 3/3, average $6333
- Nindethana: 5/5, average $4900
- Notable: 3/3, average $4000
- Rangeview: 2/2, average $4500
- RSVP: 6/6, average $5833
- Sylvan Springs: 3/3, average $5833
- True Blue: 5/5, average $5900
- Vale View: 5/5, average $8500
