Hopgood's 'all-rounder' Charolais bull fetches $30k in solid Clermont sale
Strong demand for Charolais bulls kept results on par with previous sales at the Hopgood Charolais 18th annual bull sale on Friday, September 4.
Mark, Kelly and Sue Hopgood, of Hopgood Charolais, Goovigen, achieved an85 per cent clearance at their annual Clermont sale, selling 50 of the 58 bulls on offer for an average of $11,140 and a gross of $550,000.
The remaining bulls were sold post-sale, resulting in a 100pc clearance.
The top-priced bull this year was Hopgood Vigor, a son of Palgrove Hallmark and out of Hopgood Crystal 135, selling for $30,000.
The 25-month-old weighed 832 kilograms, had P8 and rib fat scans of 8 and 6 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 4.5pc, and a scrotal circumference of 38.5 centimetres.
Hopgood Vigor sat in the top two per cent of the breed for gestation length (-7.4) for September 2026 estimated breeding values.
The polled Charolais also sat in the top two per cent of the breed for eye muscle area (+4.2), the top 15pc for carcase weight, the top 20pc for calving ease direct, as well as the top 20 pc for retail beef yield.
Mr Hopgood said the bull was an all rounder and he was not shocked he performed well.
"He's by Hallmark, which has topped our sale many a time over the last ... four or five years," he said.
"He's just very free-moving, easy-fleshing ... he could have gone to a stud or a high-end commercial breeder.
"We probably didn't expect him to be top price, but we knew he'd be up there when we cataloged him. He just kept getting better and better and better as he went."
Jill Peck from Purtora Family Trust, Blackall purchased Hopgood Vigor, and Mr Hopgood said he would be well used for her herd.
"Jill's got a beautiful herd of cattle, she does an awesome job crossbreeding out there," he said.
"He'll go over the sort of Santa, Angus, Charolais-type cows and will be mainly utilised for the weaner market but at the moment they have been utilising their cattle for feeders and bullocks."
Mr Hopgood said it was a really good day with strong interest from both repeat and new buyers.
"We had lots of repeat buyers again, like normal," he said.
"There was nice strong interest, lots of new people as well, and everything presented well and everyone was happy.
"With the way the Charolais have been selling and the climate up here at the moment, there's plenty of grass around, so it was basically what we expected it to be."
The second-highest-price bull was Hopgood Vaporetto, a son of Palgrove Rossco and out of Hopgood Kimberly, who sold for $25,000.
The 24-month-old weighed 830 kilograms, had P8 and rib fat scans of 12mm and 9mm respectively, an EMA of 133sq cm, IMF of 5.2pc, and a scrotal circumference of 40cm.
The polled Charolais sat in the top 15pc of the breed for IMF (+0.6) for September 2026 estimated breeding values.
He also sat in the top 40pc for rump fat and the top 45pc for rib fat.
Mr Hopgood said it was these qualities that made him sell for a high price.
"He's just super soft, lots of fat cover, he's long and he just deep and he carried that flesh right at the bottom of his hole, such an easy-doing bull," he said.
He was purchased by Liam Ahern, Greystone Station, Eidsvold who visited the bulls in person a week before the sale.
"I'd researched him online and watched a video and he just stood out as a type of direction I want to go with my cattle with a nice soft, easy-finishing type of cattle," Mr Ahern said.
"So when I went up and saw him in the flesh, I really liked him, I really liked quite a few of them actually. It was a good draft of bulls and I just thought I'd have a go at him and ended up with him."
Mr Ahern runs about 800 breeders, 65 kilometres north west of Eidsvold.
"We breed and fatten ourselves for the EU market and grass-fed markets, as well as some feeder steers when the job's good," he said.
"We run mostly Charbray cattle and breed a few Charbray bulls ourselves to use and sell a few out of the paddock privately.
"This bull will go in with our best cows to introduce some new genetics."
Kennedy Livestock agent Jake Kennedy said the sale went very well due to a very handy line of bulls offered by the Hopgoods.
"It was very strong at the start, we probably just lost a bit of momentum towards the end with the buyer potential and that's why we've seen those younger fellows just drop off," he said.
"I think that's probably related to a bit of the season up here and drying off very quickly so it's not taking anything away from those bulls. They were very handy bulls.
"But the strength in the Hopgood sale really showed that they are improving each year and getting bigger and better."
- Sellling agents: Kennedy Livestock & Property, interfaced with AuctionsPlus
