Confidence in Droughties high as Bunya Bull Sale average jumps by 29 per cent
An appearance in the Ekka show ring has helped one North Burnett family gain the eye of buyers who were willing to pay a stud record to take home the bull they say they couldn't fault.
The $40,000 top price for Carnudge Nazareth was a key highlight at the Bunya Bull Sale on Saturday, September 5, where the average and clearance were also significantly up on last year's result.
The full car park and limited space in the grandstands at the Coolabunia Saleyard translated into 46 of 56 bulls, or 82 per cent, selling and going on to average $10,152.
That result was 10 per cent higher in clearance than 2025 while the average was also $2300 more and the top almost doubled the $24,000 of last year.
One bull was sold in post-sale negotiations for an adjusted average of $10,043 and 84pc clearance.
Those in attendance had to wait until the second-last bull of the day to see the top price reached.
Carnudge Nazareth was offered by Greg and Linda Nugent and family, Mingo, and sold to John and Shannon Williamson, Cebella and Yellowwood studs, Pimpama.
Bidding kicked off at $10,000 for the 36-month-old homozygous polled son of Carnudge Dominator and Carnudge Butterscotch who boasted an eye muscle area of 146 square centimetres and weighed 1112 kilograms.
The Williamsons weren't in the market for a bull but after seeing Nazareth in the show ring at Brisbane, said he had too many desirable traits for them to pass him up.
"We watched him get shown at the Ekka and followed him through to the sale here," Shannon Williamson said.
"We really can't fault the bull to be perfectly honest; he has a beautiful head, coat type, sheath, bone, PP, myostatin tested and scale. He has definitely got a bit of leg under him.
"We don't need a bull numbers wise, but we saw this bull and he ticked all of our boxes, and we knew we'd probably have to pay for him, but we just like everything about him, so we followed him through and we're lucky enough today to end up with him."
Click on the dots in the graph below to find out where registered bidders ringside travelled from below
He will now heading to stud duties with the Williamsons, who run a herd of 100 cows, both registered and commercial.
"We have a line of females coming through from one of our stud sires that we kept quite a few years ago now, so his daughters will be what this bull will go over," Ms Williamson said.
"He will have probably 30 stud cows selected specifically for him."
Not only was it the highest the Williamson family had paid for a bull, it was also the most the Nugents had sold a sire for in what was their 21st year of breeding Droughtmasters.
"Good things come to those who wait," Greg Nugent said.
Nazareth had received first place in his class at multiple shows and was senior champion bull at Mundubbera.
He was the product of some longstanding bloodlines in their herd and had already got a handful of females in calf.
"His dam is 14 years old and she's still producing and his father's 12 years old and still producing so they come from a line of breeders," he said.
While there had been interest in the bull leading up to the sale, Mr Nugent was still surprised and almost missed the big moment.
"I was walking through a gate and I almost missed it," he said.
"I heard it start at 10 (thousand dollars) and next thing I heard 20 (thousand dollars)."
Other significant results late in the catalogue came from Roger and Jenny Underwood of Eversleigh and Wallace Vale studs, Blantyre.
Their Wallace Vale entry, Pistol, sold for $20,000 to Tandora Grazing, Maryborough, while Eversleigh Ricochet reached $22,000 to Cooraglen Farming, Boyneside, and Eversleigh Samba hit $20,000 to MA and EJ Hamspon, Lawgi Dawes.
Buyers from as far west as Charleville, and into northern NSW supported the 13th annual sale with W and J Moxham-Price, Inverness, accounting for the largest order of five bulls to average $9800.
Weston Donahue, Tansey, selected three bulls to average $6333 while Kinbombi Station, Kinbombi, secured three averaging $13,000.
Purchasing two bulls was Craig Hersant, Warrill View, with an average of $5000, Wardsdale Grazing, Charleville, with an average of $8000, Sunset Grazing, Chinchilla with an average of $6000 and Tandora Grazing with an average of $14,000.
- Selling agents: Elders and GDL
Vendor averages (for an individual prefix that sold two or more bulls under the hammer)
Caldy - 3/4 average $10,666
By-Mingo - 4/4 average $6250
Major - 3/4 average $6666
Diamond Hill - 2/2 average $14,000
Rangeview - 3/3 average $8000
RSVP - 6/6 average $9666
Cooly - 2/3 average $5500
Bryvonlea - 2/3 average $10,500
Vale View - 3/3 average $11,666
Wynwood - 2/2 average $6000
Birch - 3/4 average $7000
Eversleigh - 2/2 average $21,000
Nindethana - 3/4 average $10,666
Carnudge - 2/2 average $23,500
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