How sire consistency drove a new Charbray record at national sale at CQLX

Top price records crumbled and averages held strong to cap off a stellar year for the breed at the National Charbray Sale at Gracemere on September 28.

The new high price came late in the day when the fourth-last bull out of 106 catalogued, Wattlebray Vintage set a new breed record of $70,000.

The 928kg poll scurred bull measured an eye muscle area of 138 square centimetres and intramuscular fat of 4.3 per cent.

Buyers Ethan and Chrissy Horrocks, Belboa, Biloela, pushed Vintage $17,500 beyond the previous breed record and said he was an ideal fit for their breeding direction.

"We really couldn't fault him. It was his weight for age, depth of muscle and overall sire appeal that stood out to us," Mr Horrocks said.

The Horrocks family have invested heavily in strong Charbray genetics in recent years and Mr Horrocks said the payoff of jumping up in price brackets was immense.

"It's changed our herd - there are many other breeds where spending north of $50,000 for the leading sires is the norm and I believe Charbray is heading in that direction," he said.

"The breed's versatility is second to none.

"They've got that good Bos indicus content but it's balanced with softness from the Euro influence, so whether it's weaners, feeders or through the hook they perform and are doing a ripper job for us."

Trevor Ford, Wattlebray Charbrays, described the record achievement as surreal.

"We held the previous record but to do that today was a bit mind-blowing to be honest, especially so late in the sale," he said.

"Many of the bulls sold into studs and that's very humbling.

"That's the icing on the cake for a stud operator, and hopefully their purchases push their programs forward in the direction they want to go."

Vintage's sire, Acton Rogue, produced nine sons for the Wattlebray National Sale offering, all of which could easily be described as peas in a pod.

"This was Rogue's second crop of calves for this sale and they just keep getting stronger - they're just so consistent," Mr Ford said.

"Vintage obviously ticked the boxes for a few people and I think the performance of his sire is being noticed."

The Horrocks family also secured Trifecta Vulcan, for $36,000.

The 950kg horned bull boasted a 155sq cm eye muscle area and IMF of 4.6pc.

Chrissy Horrocks said Vulcan was her pick for his style, natural thickness and terrific bone structure.

"His pedigree definitely ticked boxes for us," she said.

"The fact he's a horned bull was attractive given we have significant poll genetics in the herd now - his overall stance and carcase was perfect for the application we have set for him."

Mr Horrocks said both Wattlebray Vintage and Trifecta Vulcan would head directly for semen collection prior to a month's spell at home, to then join a stable mob of Charbray breeders.

Second top price honours went to the Huntington Charbray stable from Taroom, selling Huntington Vodka for $40,000.

Purchased by Streeter Grazing, Taroom, the 21-month-old homozygous poll bull scanned in at 930kg with an eye muscle area of 138sq cm and IMF of 5.4pc.

Huntington Charbrays' Matt Welsh said he was over the moon with the sale result, not only for the Huntington draft but the entire sale.

"It's our first time back at the national sale for a long time," he said. "The direction the breed has taken and the great sires that are presented up here made us want to be part of it again.

"We earmarked a few bulls for this sale that we thought would suit and this fella had the right amount of type and eye appeal with the double poll gene - he's the kind of bull that gets in your head and is hard to get out."

The Huntington stable were also awarded the Heather Stewart Memorial trophy at the national sale meet and greet on Sunday evening, signifying consistency and quality across a line of bulls offered at the sale.

Mr Welsh said Mrs Stewart had been a great supporter of the breed and her commitment helped push Charbrays forward.

"We said all along - focusing on consistency and type would pay off," Mr Welsh said.

"We now have some really astute cattle people investing in the breed and it's starting to show in our sales.

"The uniformity across the yarding is impressive. Of course, someone who breeds them is going to say this, but I really think momentum will keep building and we're up and going."

The sale had a clearance rate of 94pc, a gross of $1,103,000, and an average price paid of $12,393.

This compares to 2025 results of an 87pc clearance, a gross of $838,500, an average of $12,514, and a top price of $32,500.

Trevor Ford also holds the Charbray Society president's title and put the overall surge in Charbray popularity down to a combination of elements.

"We've built the annual Charbray Youth Camp and the National Female Sale and both those events have really driven membership and encouraged people to chase pedigrees and seriously start to look at the breed," he said.

"There's a lot of commercial support too from producers looking for a flatback alternative that can reach all markets in all environments.

"That's the key, that's our golden ticket and we've got it in spades."

It was fitting that the top-priced Charbray bull record should fall in 2026 after the female record was also broken earlier this year at the female sale.

As Charbray heads into its 50th year in 2027, Mr Ford said it would certainly bear meaning, particularly for the breed's life members.

"There's been a terrific amount of work in those 50 years, some of it no doubt painstaking at times, so it's great for our life members to see their hard work pay off," he said.

"We're reaping the rewards now and we've got to be grateful for that but also keep looking and moving forward, and we're in the box seat."

Gordon and Lana Stewart, Jambin, purchased seven bulls to average $8571.

Bush Holdings, Alpha, purchased six bulls to average $15,166.

• Selling agents: GDL, Nutrien Harcourts, Elders, interfaces with StockLive