Inaugural Best of the West Blackall bull sale reaches $22,000 top price

Having good bulls for sale in the region was one of the big attractions for buyers at the inaugural Best of the West Charolais bull sale at Blackall on September 28.

Although the seven-vendor sale suffered from the declining season in western Queensland, vendors Ian and Katrina Bebbington said it had been a good beginning for their Mountview Charolais stud to build on.

Their bulls have featured at Blackall before, as part of the annual Black Stump sale each March, and Ms Bebbington said the encouragement of good sales there had prompted them to continue taking bulls to buyers in more rural parts of the state.

That was appreciated by David and Leah Gleeson of Alpha's Beauford Pastoral Company, who paid the top price of $22,000, for Mountview Vancouver V60, a homozygous polled bull sired by Palgrove Eclipse E302E.

The 24-month-old bull weighed 1050 kilograms, had P8 and rib scans of 10 and 8 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 150 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.4 per cent, a 42cm scrotal circumference, and semen motility of 70pc.

GDL's Sterling George represented the Gleesons at the sale and said they were always on the lookout for quality bulls, such as 4 Ways Uptown, purchased for $80,000 at the Inverell stud's 2025 Emerald sale.

"This one's really well balanced, his figures are perfect, his ears are right for their Charbray cattle, he walks well, his scrotal is good, and he's got a nice square rump," Mr George said.

Ms Bebbington said Vancouver was a pretty special bull.

"We took him to Ag-Grow this year as our site bull, to promote this sale," she said. "He's got everything going for him, plenty of leg under him, a good all-rounder."

Mountview Charolais filled a large proportion of the catalogue and finished up selling 14 of the 15 bulls they offered, for an $8857 average price.

Overall, 26 of 48 bulls were sold under the hammer at the sale, recording a 54pc clearance and an average price of $8576.

Figures were similar for the Charolais portion of the sale - 20 of 37 bulls, or 54pc, sold to buyers from Charleville, Blackall, Boulia, Alpha, Jericho, Aramac, Muttaburra, Hughenden and Isisford, for an average price of $8900.

Mountain Valley Angus had 11 bulls for sale, selling six, or 54pc, for an average price of $6500.

Bob and Cathy Crozier, from Lynton Hills at Charleville, bought four of them, even though they only needed a couple.

"They were at the right price, and they had good figures and a good temperament," Mr Crozier said.

"I've had a couple of Mountain Valley bulls before, from the Black Stump sale, and liked them.

"Their progeny is easier to sell at Roma or on AuctionsPlus."

The committed Angus/Ultrablack breeder said there were some beautiful Charolais cattle on offer at the sale.

"I even had a bid on one," he said.

The other producers to take four bulls were Dale and Kelsey Nielsen, Two Rivers, Boulia, buying two bulls from Lilydale Charolais, based in the Lockyer Valley, one from Mountview and one from Pelipa Charolais of Cedar Party, NSW.

Ms Neilsen said they'd been buying Charolais bulls lately, to put over their Charbray cattle, and had Mountview bulls in their herd, but liked the Lilydale bulls because it gave them a different bloodline.

They still have good feed in their channels and were keen to get new bulls from as close as Blackall.

"We've got to go another 800 kilometres from here if we want to get other bulls," she said. "Our weaners sell here or on AuctionsPlus."

They paid the second-top price of $13,000 for Lilydale Wake, a 20-month-old bull weighing 850kg, sired by ANC Napoleon.

The southern Queensland stud sold all five bulls offered for a $9200 average.

The Price family from Aramac bought the only bull offered by Milford Charolais, from Beaudesert, after the sale.

Ten of the 48 bulls for sale were purchased via StockLive, and four of those went to Hughenden's Thomas Mills.

• Selling agent: GDL, interfaced with StockLive