Top support spurs improved clearance and average for Gold City Brahman Sale

Repeat buying power led to an improved result on last year for the 26th Gold City Brahman Sale held at the Dalrymple Saleyards, Charters Towers, on Monday, November 2.

All 62 lots offered at this year's sale were snapped up by buyers from Collinsville, Ingham, Mount Garnet, Mingela, Cloncurry and the Charters Towers region for a 100 per cent clearance.

The contingent of poll-heavy red and grey bulls averaged $7056, with 19 greys selling to average $8157, while 43 reds sold to average $6569.

This compared favourably with last year's result, where 76 of 78 bulls sold for a 97pc clearance to average $6829, with 33 greys averaging $7333 and 43 reds averaging $6442.

Elders sale agent Anthony Ball said it had been great to see the average skip past the $7000 mark.

"We did have a reduced yarding this year due to circumstances out of our control, but there were around about 35 bid cards for 62 bulls, which equated to nearly two bulls purchased per person," Mr Ball said.

"Aside from one or two new faces, all of these bulls were purchased by repeat Gold City buyers," he said.

The greys won the day when the 26-month-old, 732 kilogram, XMS Groundbreaker 401/5 was secured by Luke and Kylie Jenkins, Big Country Helicopters, Charters Towers for $16,000.

Mr Jenkins said the XMS Trailblazer 219/1 and XMS Belle 59/6 son, which measured 10mm and 9mm for P8 and rib fat respectively, with a 124 square centimetre eye muscle area, was purchased to help get the weight up in the maiden heifers he'll be joined to.

He was the Jenkins' sole purchase of the day and their first bull bought out of Callan Solari's XMS stud situated in Ingham.

"There were some good value bulls available today. We bought a bull at Gold City last year, and we have plenty of calves hitting the ground by him."

Mr Solari selected XMS Groundbreaker 401/5 for his shape, volume and skin type, neck extension, scale and capacity.

"We like his mother, XMS Belle 59/6 and his sire, XMS Trailblazer 219/1, sold at the 2022 Gold City sale for $27,000. We kept some semen from Trailblazer, and this fertile and functional homebred bull was the result," Mr Solari said.

It was a stellar day for Mr Solari with his four greys selling to average $13,750.

This haul also encompassed selling the equal second top price grey and overall bull of the sale, when the $15,000 winning bid on lot 52, XMS King Charles 404/5, was made by long-term Gold City supporters Paul and Debbie Herrod, Ponderosa Brahmans, Katherine, Northern Territory.

The 26-month-old, 656kg, XMS King Charles 404/5 out of the proven matron XMS Leesa 19/3, was an IVF son of the homozygous polled Gracemere Play Boy, which sold to Kenilworth Brahmans for $130,000 at the 2021 Big Country Brahman Sale.

Mr Solari was fortunate enough to buy semen from Gracemere Play Boy, which was then used in one of the better XMS cow lines.

He described XMS King Charles 404/5 as a "safe, structurally sound bull (121cm EMA) with correct feet and legs".

Mr Herrod said he was a good overall package, which, along with bulls bought at this year's Rockhampton Brahman Week Sale, will be joined to a mob of heifers at Ponderosa.

"We bought a couple of XMS bulls last year that have done a good job for us," he said.

The second $15,000 bull and the top-priced red of the sale was Badilla Delmo, which was offered by Blake and Renee Chiesa, RB Grazing, Ingham.

This 27-month-old Fairy Springs Royal Flush 6123 son, with a 41cm scrotal circumference and 145cm EMA, was purchased by Waide and Debbie Skinner, Ingham.

This was the Skinners' first time buying at Gold City and they hope to improve the overall quality of their females with the purchase of Badilla Delmo.

"We bought another Badilla bull with different bloodlines at the Great Northern Brahman Sale, and he has performed well for us," Mr Skinner said.

The top volume buyer on the day was Carlton Hills Pty Ltd, Mount Isa, which bought seven reds to average $5000.

Other volume buyers were Gavin and Sue Spurdle, Mingela, who took home six greys to average $6500, while Star River Pastoral, Paynes Lagoon, Charters Towers bought one red and four greys to average $8400.

Bill and Rose German, Hurricane Station, Mount Carbine, purchased five reds to average $4900, while George and Jenny Bambling, Glenavon, Aramac, bought four reds to average $7000.

R and R Goodie, Reedy Creek Station, Bowen, secured four greys to average $5750, and Trouble Cattle Company, Mount Fullstop, bought four reds to average $7500.

• Selling agents: Elders, interfaced with AuctionsPlus