Gamble pays off for Drensmaine's wet Sunday Santa Gertrudis bull sale

Holding a bull sale on a Sunday hasn't been done before, and neither has going ahead with it after 120mm of rain, but both decisions worked perfectly for the Drensmaine Santa Gertrudis stud at Tambo on October 18.

Green shoots were already pushing their way through the blackened tussocks that had only seen 100mm for the rest of the year as buyers drove in from as far north as Charters Towers and Winton, as far east as Wallumbilla, and as far south as St George for the stud's 41^st sale and second at its on-property venue.

Together with online bidders from Hughenden, Eromanga, Longreach, Alpha and Glen Innes, NSW, a gallery of stud and commercial buyers helped the stud to a clearance of 100 per cent of the 82 bulls offered, a top price of $42,500 and an average price of $12,153.

At last year's sale, all 62 bulls were sold for an average $11,565 and a top price of $30,000.

Stud co-principal Matt Sargood said he was ecstatic with this year's result, both the average and the clearance rate.

"We've had years when the average was $20,000 but we weren't selling 80 then," he said.

It was not until lot 33 that the price dipped below five figures.

One of the first bulls that Len and Helen Sargood began the Drensmaine stud with was from the Swan Hill Santa Gertrudis stud on the western side of Tambo, and it was the Swan Hill stud that purchased the top-priced bull at this year's sale.

The cover bull for the sale catalogue, the 24-month-old Drensmaine Nutella N49 was sired by Drensmaine Kidman K246 and out of maiden heifer Drensmaine K371.

He weighed 824 kilograms with an average daily gain of 1.07kg, had P8 and rib fat measurements of 9 millimetres and 7mm respectively, an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.4pc, a 41.5cm scrotal circumference, and semen morphology of 88pc.

Swan Hill Santa Gertrudis stud representative Alexa Russell said he stood out to her, both as a soft, tidy bull and for his good figures.

"His dark, cherry red colour was important too - he's going into a stud herd so his colour and quiet temperament are always good to have," she said.

The stud has used Drensmaine genetics before and Ms Russell said she thought the whole line-up this year was very even.

Pictures by Sally Gall

Other studs purchasing bulls at the sale included Darr Creek, Jandowae, purchasing Drensmaine Novak N131 for $18,000, Drensmaine Ned Kelly being bought by Killarney Park Santas at Tambo for $20,000, Drensmaine Noosa, purchased by Forest Park Santas at Blackall for $20,000, Drensmaine Northern Lights going to Glen Leigh Santa Gertrudis stud at Glen Innes, NSW for $20,000, and Drensmaine Newage N32, snapped up by the Yarrawonga Cattle Co for $16,000.

The sale's second-top price of $26,000 was paid by Ben Avery, Banjo Grazing, at Allandale, Blackall, for Drensmaine Nimble N105, another 24-month-old, who weighed 813kg, with an ADG of 1.1kg, P8 and rib fat measurements of 8mm and 6mm respectively, an EMA of 133sq cm, IMF of 5.3pc, a scrotal circumference of 38.5cm, and morphology of 94pc.

Winton's Camberwarra Cattle Co and TB Brodie Family Trust paid $24,000 each for a bull.

Rostron Grazing, based at The Grove, Alpha was a first-time buyer of Drensmaine bulls but was one of the sale's top volume buyers, selecting eight bulls for an average of $14,000.

The business has had Droughtmaster, Angus and Charolais bulls and Jamie Christmas said they were looking at starting a Santa infusion.

"We're looking for something in the middle," he said. "We're very happy with what we've got - they were quality."

They have country at Alpha and Aramac and wanted locally bred bulls with resilience for their tick country, that would breed progeny suitable for the slaughter market.

Ian and Stacey Collins came down from Kirkland Plains at Charters Towers for three days of sales but bought what they needed, seven bulls for an average $8285, at Drensmaine.

"We like them very much," Mr Collins said. "They were not overfed, they were ready to work, and they had a lot of bone about them."

They'll be putting them over red Brahman and Droughtmaster cows, and said they should do a nice job.

Five horses were offered by four vendors at the sale, the top, 14yo Ellamay C-Prize, a 15.2hh mare offered by the Mayne family of Tarabah, Tambo, was sold online for $20,000 to Jaydean Pastoral at Lake Cargelligo, NSW.

One other horse, Drensmaine Dan, a rising six-year-old chestnut gelding by imported Ratchet Down USA, offered by the Sargood family, was sold for $11,000 to Danielle Tuckwell, Coolah, NSW.

Three of the four working dogs offered as part of the sale were sold, with the top, Soda, a four-year-old collie bitch bred by Angus Rains at Caldervale, Tambo, bringing $15,000 and going to a NSW buyer.

IPC Maggie, a collie bitch offered by Naroonie Stockdogs at Bundaberg, was sold for $12,750 to Matt Sargood's Nive River Pastoral Co.

The whole sale - auction ring and grandstands, bull pens and spacious catering area - was covered by a 64 metre by 42 metre roof bought from Central Steel Build in Victoria and erected in six days.

Mr Sargood said the inclement weather had kept five or six people he knew of away, with some bidding online instead, and they'd been fortunate to pick up a number of new clients.

• Selling agent: TopX, interfaced with AuctionsPlus