Dangarfield Cattle Co exceeds $50,000 for top-price bull at 2026 Santa sale

Rounding out an impressive day of bull sales for the Santa Gertrudis breed in Taroom, Dangarfield Cattle Company achieved striking results all round at the stud's 2026 sale on Tuesday, September 8.

On-property at Kingswood, the stud offered 48 bulls through a brand-new selling complex, all of them selling to give a 100 per cent clearance, a $16,240 average, a top price of $55,000, and an overall sale gross of $779,000.

In a further results breakdown, the 35 stud bulls offered sold for an average of $17,300, and all 13 herd bulls offered sold for an average of $13,384.

This was an improvement on all counts from last year's sale, where 50 offered bulls sold for a 100pc, clearance, a $14,160 average, a top price of $40,000, and an overall sale gross of $708,000.

The 2026 top price of $55,000 was achieved by Dangarfield Jinx, who was purchased by fellow Santa Gertrudis breeder, Shaun McGuigan, Cree Santa Gertrudis, Thangool.

The 22-month-old, 868 kilogram bull was sired by Dangarfield Fame and Fortune and out of Dangarfield 9181.

He recorded 14 millimetres of rump fat, 10mm of rib fat, an eye muscle area of 147 square centimetres, and 5.5pc of intramuscular fat.

A repeat Dangarfield buyer, Mr McGuigan said he had his eye on Dangarfield Jinx for his overall structure and his days-to-calving estimated breeding value data.

"Particularly, his softness and his depth [stood out to me]," he said.

"He's got a heap of natural thickness in him, and his genomic EBVs were exceptionally good, with a days-to-calving of negative eight.

"It just gives us a whole new outcross to take into our performance-recorded herd, basically.

"The days-to-calving EBV is one of the main profit drivers, because it's calves on the ground that is the major profit driver of a herd."

When his bull gets to Thangool, Mr McGuigan said he planned to turn him out for stud duties.

"I'm actually not sure what part of the herd he will go into, but he will go in with mature cows," he said.

Vendor Ben Adams said it was a massive relief to see such a successful result for the first sale using Dangarfield's newly renovated selling complex.

"It was a good day, well supported," he said.

"I think the bulls, the people, are happier with the set-up compared to the old one.

"We're here for the long haul, and it's an investment in our future."

Mr Adams said this year's bulls sold to both new and return buyers.

"Some very loyal families have been buying off us for a long time, and are still buying them," he said. "There were a couple of new buyers. A solid high price - that's just the cherry on top."

According to Mr Adams, the top of $55,000 was on the higher side of what the stud had previously achieved.

"We've had some big sales when everything was going great, but our private sale demand is just outstripping what we can keep up with," he said.

"So, we just keep this sale. We're sharing a good day working with a good group in town.

"Fifty bulls is enough, and everyone is pretty happy about it."

• Selling agents: Nutrien and TopX.