Quality genetics help push Rockhampton Brangus sale average past $15,000

It was a golden time for many vendors at the Rockhampton Brangus Sale as bulls soared to $110,000 on Tuesday, October 13.

In its 50th year, the sale saw 202 of 218 bulls sell to average $15,347 for a 93 per cent clearance rate.

The result was up on the 89pc clearance of 2025 but slightly back on the $17,125 average of last year.

However, it sits as one of the highest results for a multi-vendor sale.

With just two entries, this year's top price honours went below the border to Jeff Parker, Gunnadoo Park, Manilla, NSW.

It was his bull, Gunnadoo Park Quickstep who was knocked down for the sale high of $110,000 to Paul and Catherine Mackenzie, Arizona, Dingo.

At 27 months he weighed 916 kilograms with 13 and 10 millimetre P8 and rib fat depths and a 131 square centimetre eye muscle area.

His intramuscular fat was 6.3 per cent with a 42cm scrotal.

Even more impressive was his morphology, which came in at a near-perfect 97pc. His motility was 80pc.

Mr Parker, who has been attending the sale for about 40 years and bought his first Brangus stud sire from the sale, said the result was a pleasing reward for their persistence.

"We join about 65 to 70 cattle so it's only small, but we're very fussy and we sell up here, we often sell at Roma and Casino, NSW," he said.

"We only keep about 10 bulls a year, but we try and be fairly particular.

See who was captured down the laneways

Pictures by Lucy Kinbacher

"He's always been a good calf. A few stud people had been down and had a look at him and they thought he was the best one we had for the year and it just turned out he was."

Quickstep was the final offering of Bonox CT 1084, who Mr Parker purchased 14 years ago, and who lived until he was 12.

"He's just been very good for me and left me a lot of good cattle," he said.

Next year Mr Parker will sell another three to four bulls at Rockhampton but confided that his daughter Ell Parker who topped the female sale the day prior, may go around him.

"She's got some good cattle," he said.

Quickstep was described as a "standout stud sire in the sale" by purchaser Catherine Mackenzie.

He will be put to females purchased from the Bling sale and some top-tier commercial heifers as the Mackenzies endeavour to breed future sires for their direct-to-works commercial operation.

"We have a small Brangus stud at home and our commercial operation is all Brangus so our aim is to hopefully produce some bulls so that we don't have to buy so many," she said.

"We ended up with two today that we classed as stud sires and four commercial bulls to go into the commercial herd.

"That's all we needed because we have started to produce some bulls for our own use."

Earlier in the day, a Tannyfoil P79 son from Michael Madden, Earlwood, Duaringa, sold well once again.

This time it was Earlwood Cotter, who was knocked down to the Gunthorpe family, Tarramba Brangus, Banana, for $75,000.

Just like his North Queensland Cowboys namesake, Cotter packed a punch with an 897kg weight at 28 months, paired with 13 and 10mm P8 and rib fat depths and a 137sq cm EMA. His IMF was 5pc.

He had a 41cm scrotum with 70 and 78pc for motility and morphology semen. His Brahman content was 51.9pc.

There were a number of bulls on Cotter's tail including Bauhinia Park Velocity at $65,000 to Circle H Brangus, Emerald.

The fourth-best price of the day was shared between Sandy Banks Victory Run at $60,000 to Arizona Brangus, Dingo, and Oaklands Bolton at $60,000 to Gavin McKenzie, Tannyfoil, Blackwater.

Buyers were active from across Queensland and into NSW.

The biggest order was bound for Westmoor Pastoral Co, Injune, with 10 bulls that averaged $16,150.

Not far behind with eight was Mackland Grazing, Collinsville, averaging $13,625.

Purchasing seven for an average of $14,857 was Bush Holdings, Clermont, while Diamond Hill Grazing, Bundaberg secured six to average $10,666 and Hartley Grazing, Injune, bought six to average $8166.

Vendor averages (for individual prefixes that sold at least two bulls under the hammer)

M1B - 4/4 average $11,500

Pineview - 2/2 average $7000

Mount Byron - 4/ 5 average $6750

Sandy Banks - 6/6 average $20,666

Stutzview - 6/6 average $9666

Boombah - 3/3 average $7666

Bauhinia Park - 6/6 average $29,250

Circletee - 2/2 average $10,500

Earlwood - 5/5 average $42,100

Three Hearts - 6/6 average $19,583

Arababy - 4/4 average $18,500

B H Bindaree 3/3 average $11,000

Forest Hills - 11/12 average $13,000

Bullakeana - 9/9 average $14,777

Chadwick Downs - 3/3 average $8000

GL - 2/2 average $9000

Springrove - 3/3 average

Bonox - 8/8 average $22,625

Burrumbush - 3/4 average $7000

Braveheart - 3/3 average $11,333

Sunday Camp - 4/4 average $12,750

Sunshine - 5/5 average $18,400

Weona - 7/7 average $8142

Inavale - 7/7 average $15,428

LM - 2/3 average $6000

K5X - 4/4 average $13,750

Coolabah - 3/3 average $24,000

Murray View - 2/2 average $13,500

Barronessa - 6/6 average $16,500

Folkslee - 8/8 average $9250

Oaklands - 8/8 average $21,875

Ripplevale - 2/3 average $13,000

Redline - 4/5 average $11,750

Nampara - 4/4 average $19,625

Gunnadoo Park - 2/2 average $58,500

Jateebee - 6/7 average $11,166

Ginoondan - 6/7 average $15,333

Ramsey Creek - 3/3 average $16,666

Voewood - 3/3 average $14,333

Lazy S - 5/5 average $14,400

Elara - 3/3 average $8666

Rockyview - 4/6 average $10,750

Glenoyra - 4/4 average $10,250

• Selling agents: GDL, Elders, Ray White, interfaced with StockLive