Queenslander earns an extra bale of hay, thanks to Bullamakinka's Longreach sale

A standout sire in the Bullamakinka Santa Gertrudis stud's line-up will be getting an extra bale of hay after the stud's Longreach sale on September 2, when his genetics played a large part in an outstanding result for his owners.

Not only did a son of Queenslander Q80, Bullamakinka W176 sell for $102,500, but the 26 bulls in the 64-head draft with Queenslander Q80's lineage sold for an average price of $27,384.

"It was a fantastic result," stud principal Craig Hindle said. "It was very humbling to get such support, with a lot of commercial people and stud people alike...in the heart of Santa country."

Such was the success of the sale that prices only dipped below $10,000 at lot 34.

Sixty-two of 64 bulls sold under the hammer, or 96.8 per cent, for an average of $20,927.

The remaining two bulls were sold after the auction concluded.

While the stud has received a higher price - $130,000 as a participant in the Santa Central sale - the $102,500 paid on Tuesday smashed the record for their Longreach sale.

The result far exceeded the 2025 sale result, when 75 of the 76 bulls offered sold for a 98 per cent clearance, with a $12,986 average and a top price of $40,000 achieved twice.

Chinchilla Santa Gertrudis breeders Ken and Jackie Knudsen, based at 26,305 hectare Kilbeggan, paid the top money this year, outlasting Alan Nock, Red Mile Santas at Mundubbera, whose limit was $100,000.

The 19-month-old bull weighed 766 kilograms, had an average daily weight gain of 1.27kg, P8 and rib fat measurements of 8 and 5 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 138 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.3pc, and a scrotal circumference of 39 centimetres.

His semen morphology was 92pc.

Mr Knudsen inspected him at the stud's Pittsworth bull depot prior to the sale and said he caught his eye when he walked into the yard.

"He walked up to us and followed us around so I thought, maybe it was meant to be," he said. "A hundred thousand dollars later, here we are."

Mr Knudsen said he was looking for new bloodlines for his paddock bull breeding, and this one was only young, which was a positive factor.

"I like good cattle. Going off the Ekka results, they're meant to be OK," he added.

In the newly introduced feeder classes at the RNA prime and feeder cattle competition, the Knudsens were awarded grand champion pen of 10.

Mr Hindle said the fact that Bullamakinka W176 was so tropical was a strong selling point.

"He's got beautiful skin, a hell of a body, and I haven't seen a quieter bull," he said. "And he's extremely thick, he's just going to grow into a really nice bull - he was one of my favourites, this bloke."

Mr Hindle said the bull had Canowindra Gold Edition on both sides of his breeding, a bull he said put his stud at North Bungunya on the map.

"Plus he's got Warenda Sentry, the other foundation bull we had breed so well for us, so basically we've got all our best genetics in him.

"These Queenslander bulls are what we're trying to breed - they've got heaps of bone for polls and he's a PP bull, so that's probably another attraction.

"He knocks all the horns off his progeny."

Pictures by Sally Gall

The Knudsens also purchased Bullamakinka W98, another PP bull, for $57,500.

The second-top-priced bull, Bullamakinka W72, homozygous polled, went for $75,000 to the Dangarfield Cattle Co at Taroom.

Also a Queenslander Q80 son, he was out of Bullamankinka K31 and weighed 846kg.

His daily weight gain was 1.16kg, he had P8 and rib fat measurements of 12 and 8mm respectively, an EMA of 130sq cm, IMF of 5.1pc, and a scrotal circumference of 42cm.

Other studs active at the sale included the Dunlop Cattle Co at Proston, the Camberwarra Cattle Co at Corfield, Doorabeeba Santas, Wee Waa, NSW, and the Pattersons from Bottle Tree Downs at Rolleston.

Volume buyers included Willsdown Pastoral, Boulia, buying 12 bulls, and ALC Rural at Barcaldine, who finished with five bulls.

Mr Hindle said they'd been selling in the area for 10 years and holding a sale for four years now, getting more support each year.

Buyers came from around central and western Queensland, as well as NSW.

According to StockLive's Jaime Kriesch, 30 bidders were registered online, with 169 viewers.

The second top-priced bull received nine online bids, including $70,000 from the underbidder.

• Selling agents: Simstock Rural, GDL, interfaced with StockLive