Return to National Sale prompts stud to buy up big at Queen of the Ring

The owners of a Droughtmaster stud who hadn't sold at the National Sale for eight years made the most of their visit to CQLX and secured a three-in-one female offering at the Queen of the Ring auction.

Brendan and Marnie Scheiwe, Toblo Droughtmasters, Marburg, were the successful purchasers of the $26,000 Lamont Xanadu, who was offered by Mac and Gayle Shann, Lamont, Clermont, on Tuesday, September 15.

The 38-month-old, homozygous poll, D3 female, which was seven months in calf, was by Lamont Superior and out of Lamont 1343 and sold with a 300kg heifer calf, Lamont Zanny.

The sale cleared all 10 females for an average of $10,400, which was slightly less than the $13,050 average in 2025 when prices peaked at $46,000.

While the Scheiwes are well-known for their Charolais genetics, they have a herd of 25 Droughtmaster females and normally sell privately.

"I'm selling two bulls here [at Rockhampton] so we were here already and we picked her out," Ms Scheiwe said.

"We just eyed her off and said I really, really like her and the fact that it was a three-way package, I could see exactly what the heifer will produce. That sold it for me."

While they did break the budget, Ms Scheiwe said she could see the profitability in the female.

"I'm already in front of the game," she said.

"It's a big calf, so because she's heavy in calf, we'll probably within the next three or four weeks, pull that calf off and get her ready for the next one.

"She is just a big feminine cow that has a perfect udder, beautiful calf, and all the points that you need in a productive cow."

Mr Shann said, until three months ago, Xanadu hadn't received any special treatment.

"She was just one of the girls in the paddock doing her thing and then we go through and select a couple go righto, 'you're up for a bit of the limelight' and pull them in, feed them a bit of grain just to prep them down here for a week," he said.

"She's just all home bred, beautiful skin type and amazing udder; the way she holds that udder up and that's really what Gayle and I look for.

"Udders lead to scrotal control, so it's all linked. Beautiful underline and then obviously doing a great job on that big 300kg heifer she had on her there today and is seven months back in calf.

"She's fertile, she can go back in calf. Beautiful skin type to go with it and PP I suppose, you know, just to throw into the whole mix."

It was the second time the Shanns had won the Queen of the Ring, both with three-in-one packages.

They believed it was a great way to offer a proven animal and a kickstart into the Droughtmaster game for successful buyers.

"I think it's a great initiative and it showcases what a Droughtie female can look like," Ms Shann said.

"It is something that we're very proud to be a part of and we love to showcase our Lamont bloodlines and we are so very proud of the cow and calf we put up."

They encouraged other studs to consider offering genetics at the sale next year.

"Like my grandmother always said, 'you can't catch a fish when your hooks on the bank, so you've got to be in it to win it, so hopefully more studs will commit to it," Mr Shann said.

"I understand it's risky but it's a great night here and the society has gone to a lot of trouble putting it on.

"We saw obviously a few studs tonight doubling up to make the numbers up, so it'd be great if we could have a female from each."

Elders auctioneer Anthony Ball congratulated the society and its members on the sales concept, which he described as a real winner.

"I feel like the studs really put their good animals forward, and it was a very good representation of the quality in the Droughtmaster breed and the diversity," he said.

"There always seems to be new people coming into the breed and people don't come into the breeds that are on the downward slide. They come into breeds that are stable and breeds that are on the way up.

"The fact that there were so many new people here operating, and I look around and I don't know half these people, that's just confidence in a product that's been working for decades now."

He was confident tomorrow's Droughtmaster National Sale would be strong.

"There'll be some ups and downs, there always is, but I've seen people back here this afternoon that I haven't seen for a couple of years," he said.

"I know of a few guys here that are looking for bulk bulls, provided they can find them.

"It's a beautiful, diverse range of bulls out there, depending on what your program is, or what your country is, or what you're trying to achieve.

"I'm very optimistic about the bull job, the beef job, and the Droughtmaster job."

In other results, Wisetree Hazel was sold for the second top price of $16,000 to Bauple View Droughtmasters.

Bauple View also paid $10,000 for the third highest priced female, Seymour Paisley.

• Selling agents: Elders, GDL and Nutrien