Bidding opened strong and stayed hot at 2026 Lawsons Angus Sale in Roma

A cold winter's day couldn't detract from the heat of the bidding at the 2026 Lawsons Angus Roma Sale, held at the Roma Saleyards on Friday, July 24.

The Victoria-based stud offered 112 bulls at the sale, which sold for a 100 per cent clearance averaging $7991.

Overall, the sale grossed $895,000.

Taking home top-priced bull right out of the gate was lot one, Lawsons Veracious V5108, purchased by Davidson Livestock Pty Ltd, Cheshire, Tambo, for $28,000.

The 23-month-old bull weighed 878kg, had a scrotal measurement of 41cm, and was ranked in the top 15 per cent of the breed for Heavy Gain Index.

He was sired by HPCA Veracious and out of Lawsons Reliant T5161.

Purchaser Mark Wemyss, Davidson Livestock Pty Ltd, Cheshire, Tambo, said Lawsons bulls had always performed well for his operation.

"We're just a family operation," Mr Wemyss said.

"Mainly just breeding blacks and crossbreds for the heavy feeder market.

"Gordon, my father-in-law, he's been buying Harry's bulls I think for at least 10 years or better.

"We get a good run out of Harry's bulls, and we've been repeat buyers for many years now.

"What keeps us coming back to these Lawsons bulls is their hardiness - their ability to hang on.

"We get good longevity out of our bulls with Harry, and the biggest focus with Lawsons is he backs his product 100 per cent."

On the 32,375 hectare (80,000 acre) Cheshire, Mr Wemyss said he would run between 6500-7000 head depending on the season.

Lawsons Angus 2026 Roma Sale

Pictures by Neave Duff.

When asked what caught his eye about Lawsons Veracious V5108, Mr Wemyss said his figures and overall look stood out.

"There's a fair bit about him, really. Probably his biggest thing is that he does have good figures, but his bone structure, and just his temperament was the biggest thing to me - he's beautiful," he said.

"He just stood up. As soon as I saw him, he was just the standout bull in the line. You could just pick him from the get-go."

Once Lawsons Veracious V5108 arrives at Tambo, Mr Wemyss said he planned to put him over black females.

"We're just going to keep targeting that black feeder market, which we've been doing for the last few years now," he said.

"With the feeder market the way it is and what we're achieving, he'll just be going straight over black cows.

"He'll be breeding as close as to pure Angus calves to target that feeder market."

As well as taking home the top-priced bull, Davidson Livestock Pty Ltd purchased a further 10 lots, purchasing a total of 11 bulls for an average of $12,455.

Bulk buyers KF and SE Southern, Secret Plains, St George, purchased 12 bulls for an average of $6167.

There were 25 lots sold through AuctionsPlus for an average of $6200, with online buyers purchasing from the Northern Territory and NSW.

Lawsons Angus stud principal Harry Lawson said he was happy with the day's results.

"We're just excited to see so many return clients, and there's a lot of really good people, and good farmers here that understand our genetics. We take our hats off to our clients that really understand what we are trying to achieve with our breeding focus," he said.

"[The bulls] may not be the biggest and fattest, but they really go out and work hard and do what they're supposed to do."

With Lawsons Angus selling bulls in Queensland for more than 30 years, Mr Lawson said he was pleased to see more local buyers putting Angus content into their herds.

"We aim to offer plenty of bulls in optimal ranges for those key economic traits, which enables them to make rapid genetic progress at a very economical price," he said.

Mr Lawson said calving ease was a high priority in his multi-trait focus, along with adaptability, fertility, early growth, elite carcase genetics, and feed efficiency.

"Our strong view is that Angus has a lot of potential in Queensland to really move the bell curve for meat quality, feedlot performance, and grass conversion," he said.

"Whether you're grass-finishing cattle in Queensland, or whether you're going into feedlots, the big push for Angus genetics is really about that meat quality and performance.

"We know Angus aren't as tough as a Brahman, so we're not suggesting that everyone in Queensland runs straight Angus cattle, but they have a massive role in Queensland in that crossbreeding sense."

• Selling agents: Nutrien interfaced with AuctionsPlus.