Trio each reach $14,000 to top the Huntington Brisbane Valley Charbray sale

While this year's result was slightly back on last year's red-hot sale, brothers Matt and Luke Welsh still saw many positives in how the 2026 Huntington Brisbane Valley Charbray bull sale unfolded on Saturday, August 15 at the Toogoolawah Showgrounds,

Matt Welsh said it has been a consistently rewarding experience offering Huntington genetics in an area where the Charbray had been recognised early for the benefits it provides.

"It's a niche market for us here in Toogoolawah, but our clients here help us fly the Charbray flag in the region. We're always happy to meet the market with our sale average, which we achieved today," Mr Welsh said.

In all, 29 lots were offered on the day with 21 selling for a 72 per cent clearance. The bulls that sold averaged $8478 per head, topping at $14,000 on three occasions. At the 2025 sale, all 29 bulls sold to average $9931, topping at $21,000.

Mr Welsh said he was thankful for the support of repeat buyers of Huntington genetics, from Gin Gin to Taroom and across to the Southern Downs. He was also pleased to see new clients secure bulls.

"This year, buyers picked out what we thought were higher-end bulls in the catalogue. The bulls with ease of fleshing, bone and muscle met with strong competition. It was good to see a horned bull join two homozygous polled bulls for the top results on the day.

The first bull to reach the $14,000 mark was the homozygous polled, Huntington Wesley in lot 5. The Dellyvon Quo son out of Huntington Gay Q141, weighing 806 kilograms at 18 months old, was purchased by Rowan and Shae Janke, Watilda Charbray, Ropeley.

The Jankes ' fledgling seedstock enterprise has got off to a flying start by investing in top-tier livestock, which included the purchase of Huntington Eleanor for $9000 at the Charbray Society's inaugural female sale in Gympie. Eleanor was the highest-priced unjoined heifer of that sale.

The dehorned 27-month-old Huntington Value was the next bull to reach $14,000 at Toogoolawah. This Huntington Maximus son weighed in at 910kg with an eye muscle area of 146 square centimetres. Repeat Huntington buyers, the Donner family, Boxvale Grazing, Taroom, made the winning bid on Value and ended up taking home two bulls at an average of $12,500.

The sale momentum hit full speed again when a flurry of bids saw the 23-month-old homozygous polled Huntington Victo sell for $14,000. This Huntington Sailor son, with near catalogue-best motility and morphology scores (85pc and 88pc respectively), was bought by long-term Huntington client, Marco Vidoni, Woodford. Mr Vidoni sourced two bulls out of the sale at an average of $12,500.

The volume purchasers on the day, each taking home three bulls, were long-time Huntington supporters Dallas and Charlene Ellory, Toogoolawah, whose haul for the day averaged $5667, and first-time buyer Gordon Lewis, Marodian Trust, whose purchases also averaged $5667.

The sale was conducted by Shepherdson & Boyd with Jack Fogg performing the auctioneering duties. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.