Young gun stud principal takes home one of two top-price lots at Advance sale

A 21-year-old stud principal took home one of the two top-priced bulls at the 2026 Advance annual bull sale, held at the Roma saleyards on Monday, August 31.

The multi-vendor sale offered Angus, Red Angus, and Charolais cattle from four vendors.

Overall, 57 of the total 79 lots sold, a 72 per cent clearance, for an average of $8947 and a sale gross of $510,000.

Broken down by breed, 26/40 Angus bulls sold, a 65pc clearance, for an average of $6885 and a top of $17,000, the only Red Angus bull offered sold for $8000, and 30/38 Charolais bulls sold, a 79pc clearance, for an average of $10,767, and an equal top-price of $24,000 for two lots.

For comparison, at last year's sale, 76 of the 96 bulls offered overall sold for a 79pc clearance, a $9680 average, and a $34,000 top price.

Gabby Stokes, Clearview Charolais stud principal, Mount Walker, purchased one of the two top-priced bulls this year, Brendale Valiant, a Charolais offered by Brendan and Marnie Scheiwe, Brendale Charolais, Tallegalla, for $24,000.

The 20-month-old, 784kg bull was sired by Mount William Supergrip (BS S141E) and out of Kyan Park Racquel P309 (DMS P309E).

He recorded 10mm of rump fat, 7mm of rib fat, had an eye muscle area of 137 square centimetres, and 5.5pc intramuscular fat.

The other top-price bull, Brendale Wingman, also a Charolais offered by Brendan and Marnie Scheiwe, Brendale Charolais, Tallegalla, sold for $24,000 to Campo Santo Grazing Company, Orange Hill.

The 16-month-old, 762kg bull, was sired by Mount William Suregrip (BS S141E) and out of Brendale Xcite 2 (BS2 N43E).

He recorded 10mm of rump fat, 7mm of rib fat, an EMA of 126 sq cm, and a 4.3pc IMF.

The top-priced Angus bull, K5X Horsepower V85, offered by Stephen Hayward and Kellie Smith, KFX Angus, Allora, sold for $17,000 to CA Flower and Co, Garrabarra, Roma.

The 22-month-old, 958kg bull, sired by SFN21S187 Nampara Horse Power S187 and out of QKXP11 K5X Wilcoola, recorded 11mm of rump fat, 8mm of rib fat, an EMA of 135 sq cm, and a 7.2pc IMF.

Top-priced buyer Gabby Stokes began her stud, Clearview Charolais, in 2019 at the age of only 14.

The now-21-year-old has developed her herd into 25 stud cows, and is a repeat buyer of Brendale Charolais bulls.

"I sell my bulls each year at the Coolabunia Classic. My first stud bull was from Brendan, and he's bred really, really good calves for me and really brought my line up, so I was coming back to find something similar that really suited what I was looking for," she said.

Of her top-priced purchase, Ms Stokes said he was a bull that had everything.

"He's very, very structurally correct, and talking to Brendan about lines, he's got pretty good milk to him, and he's just got everything. I can't fault him," she said.

"For such a young bull, how he scanned and the data that he has, hopefully he'll go on and breed some good bulls.

"I just think he had a bit of everything that I needed and go out and breed me some good calves."

Ms Stokes said she planned to send Brendale Valiant straight out to stud duties once she got him home to Mount Walker.

Advance Annual Bull Sale 2026

Pictures by Neave Duff.

Advance bull sale vendors Brendan Scheiwe and Stephen Hayward said this year's sale lacked some return buyers, which may have contributed to the reduced clearance.

However, they said it was still a solid sale.

"We averaged really well, and probably would have liked to have sold a few more, but that's the way it is," Mr Scheiwe said.

"There was a lot of return buyers right across the board.

"The bull that's gone to stud duties, to me, is a real stud bull. He's very well-made and his temperament is faultless."

The bulk buyer of the sale, RH and RJ West, Pickanjinnie, purchased 11 head for an average of $6909.

Vendor averages

KFX Angus and Advance Charolais, Kellie Smith and Stephen Hayward, Allora: 23/31, 74pc, $7043.

Acacia Angus, MA and DA Duggan, Killarney: 4/10, 40pc, $6250.

Goondi Angus, Darryl and Nicole Hayward, Cambooya: 2/2, 100pc, $7000.

Brendale Charolais, Brendan and Marnie Scheiwe, Tallegalla: 28/36, 78pc, $10,964.

• Selling agents: Elders interfaced with Stocklive.