'It's important': legacy continues for Robson family at Braford sale

Well-known Braford buyer Wayne Robson's family purchased the top-price bull at their first New Dimension sale since his passing, and the top-price female purchaser kept their three-year-long top-price female buying streak alive.

The New Dimension sale saw the grandstands packed at the Bell Showgrounds on August 29, where 13 vendors offered both females and bulls to a loyal audience.

The sale saw 66 lots offered in total, 58 of which sold, for a clearance rate of 87.88 per cent, an average of $7250, and a sale gross of $420,500.

Both the top-price bull and top-price female were offered by the same stud, the McNamara family at MCN, Bell, and were by the same sire, Donrinda M027 Menzies P118041.

Twenty bulls were offered at the sale, and 18 sold, for a clearance rate of 90pc, an average of $12,666.67, and a gross of $228,000.

Both clearance rate and average price increased this year compared to the 2025 sale, which saw a 75pc clearance and $12,000 average for the bulls.

The 2026 top-price bull, MCN Soldier, sold to the Robson family for $22,000.

The family lost their husband and father Wayne Robson in May, and a minute's silence was observed before the sale to commemorate Wayne and his contribution to the Braford breed.

Vendor Amy McNamara said it was important to her that the Robson family felt they could continue to trust in their stud brand, in which the Robsons had historically been strong buyers.

"[MCN Soldier] going to the Robsons is really quite special, because Wayne died this year, and to have a continued relationship is important," Ms McNamara said.

MCN Soldier was 31 months old and weighed 931 kilograms, was homozygous polled, had P8 and rib fat scans of 22 and 12 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 135 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 6pc, a scrotal circumference of 36 centimetres, morphology of 78pc, and motility of 80pc.

The Robson family, from Mount View at Morven, run a commercial herd on their 8500ha property, where they turn off feeder steers and keep replacement heifers.

Lisa Robson said they were loyal supporters and repeat purchasers of bulls from the McNamara family, and were drawn to MCN Soldier's reliability.

"We're long-time supporters of the McNamara family, they have beautiful quiet bulls, so we really like them, and they're beautiful people," Ms Robson said.

Ms McNamara said she feels that, while MCN Soldier was always quiet, spending 18 months with Nudgee College in Brisbane as a part of the school's show team has made him unflappable.

"I suppose having 30 teenage boys climbing all over the top of you will do that," she said.

The Robson family said they plan to use MCN Soldier in their herd, and will keep him among their cows from November through to June 2027.

The top-price female, MCN Elle, was sold to Kim and Richard Edwards from Casino, NSW for $12,000.

They were the purchasers of the top-priced female at the New Dimension sale for the third year in a row.

Forty-six females were offered, and 40 sold, for a clearance rate of 86.96pc, an average of $4812.5, and a gross of $192,500.

While the clearance rate slightly decreased from 2025, the average price increased, being $4013 last year.

MCN Elle was a homozygous polled female aged 10 months and weighing 453kg, and Ms Edwards said they were interested in her for the genetics of her sire, Donrinda M027 Menzies P118041, and her femininity.

Despite their three-year top-price female purchasing streak, this was the first year the Edwards family had purchased in a non-commercial setting, as they had established the Stone Crest stud earlier in the year on their 100ha property.

Mr Edwards said they'd bought from a different vendor for each of the past three years, as they wanted to spread out their genetics.

The family plans to use MCN Elle to grow its stud, but they're unsure whether they will be purchasing another bull to put with her, or using the one stud bull they already own.

"We're building up to having about 60 females, and we've got 25 registered [at the moment]... we bought four today, [even though] we were only going to buy one, but the quality was so good," Mr Edwards said.

The family is hoping to host its first sale next year.

Ms McNamara, who, aside from being a vendor is also the sales secretary, said she felt a lot of people will be happy with how the sale went, and that the amount of new faces confirms to her that it is getting bigger every year.

• Selling agent: Elders, interfaced with StockLive

Results

• Chadwick Downs - 3 sold/4 offered, 75pc, $9000 av
  
• Banyula - 3/3, 100pc, $5833.33 av
  
• Ashby - 7/7, 100pc $7571.43 av
• Sunny Lawn - 6/9, 66.7pc, $3750 av
• Carinya - 11/11, 100pc, $10,262.64 av
• MCN - 8/8, 100pc, $8375 av
• Little Valley - 5/5, 100pc, $7200 av
• Strathgyle - 4/6, 66.67pc, $4250 av
• Downfall Creek - 2/4, 50pc, $8000 av
• Boomerang - 2/2, 100pc, $5000 av
• Glynnelly -3/3, 100pc, $4333.33 av
• Nungil - 2/2, 100pc, $3750 av
• Double C - 2/2, 100pc, $10,000 av