Volume buyers dominate as Nioa RL Pastoral bull sale grosses $573,000
Two buyers bought more lots than all other buyers combined at the Nioa and RL Pastoral annual Santa Gertrudis sale at Allora, which saw the top-price bull match the results from last year, and the average increase.
Buyers could tell the spring season had begun at the annual sale on September 3, when viewing opened early for eager bidders and seating in the grandstands went quickly, leaving many standing.
The sale saw 52 bulls offered, and 50 sold for a clearance of 96.2 per cent, an average of $11,460, and a gross of $573,000.
Ten females were offered by RL Pastoral, and one sold for a clearance of 10pc and a sale price of $4000.
The average increased from 2025, which saw 74 from 77 bulls sold through the ring for a clearance of 96.1pc and an average price of $11,284.
The top-price bull, Nioa Winchester W68, was sold by the Nioa family to Bill and Gretchen Speed at Brigodoon Cattle Company, based near Taroom.
Nioa Winchester W68 is out of Nioa U64 and by Yarrawonga Spartacus S316, who is the Australian record holder for top-price Santa Gertrudis bull, and sold for $250,000 in 2022.
Mr Speed said while he is a repeat buyers, he doesn't have Yarrawonga genetics, and he had been eyeing off Yarrawonga Spartacus S316's offpring for while, and felt that Nioa Winchester was the pick of the lot.
"He was my pick of the sale - the Nioa bulls were very well presented, and he had all the things I want pretty right about him," Mr Speed said.
The Speed family, based on 30,000ha near Taroom, breed Santa Gertrudis cattle and operate a feedlot across their properties in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The feedlot typically sells 100-day bullocks to Kilcoy Pastoral Company, which are Santa Gertrudis-cross, which Mr Speed prefers.
Nioa Winchester W68 was 21 months old, weighed 842 kilograms, has P8 and rib fat scans of 23 and 13 millimetres respectively, an average daily gain of 1.23kg, an eye muscle area of 134 square centimetres, a scrotal circumference of 41 centimetres, intramuscular fat of 6pc, motility of 70pc, and a morphology of 83pc.
"His morphology was in the 80s, and his fats were high but not too high - he's got a beautiful fat cover, and real length from hip to pin," Mr Speed said.
Mr Speed said he plans to use Nioa Winchester W68 in his own herd, where he will go over ideally 60 to 70 females from his herd.
Vendor representative Shannon Gardner described the result as unexpected, but said the Yarrawonga genetics were sought after, which made it unsurprising that a Yarrawonga Spartacus offspring was the top-price bull.
Nioa and RL Pastoral annual sale attendees. Pictures by Milly Buck.
September 3, 2026.
Mr Gardner said he was especially grateful to the volume buyers, who were significant contributors to the overall sale.
Volume buyers included the Scott family at McDonald Downs Station, NT, who bought 15 lots, and the Anderson family at Willsdown Pastoral, Boulia, who bought 13.
Their combined 28 lots outdid all other bidders, who combined purchased 26 lots, and with the third-biggest volume buyers, Jay Coonan at Rainbow Pastoral, purchasing four lots.
Elders agent Michael Smith said the sale included support from across Queensland, upper New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
"He's a pretty complete bull - just that real Santa Gertrudis breed character about him, fairly correct, and he's the sort of bull that will stamp his progeny, fairly true to type," Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith said the sale was on par with the broader market and that buyers were showing willingness to spend more for the specific bull they prefer.
- Selling agent: Elders, GDL and APL, interfaced with StockLive
Vendor Results
Nioa - 30/31, 96.8pc, $14,466.67 average, $434,000 gross
RL Pastoral - 20/21, 95.2pc, $6950 average, $139,000 gross
