End of an era: Leeds Shorthorns bows out on high with full clearance

The Leeds family has said goodbye to the Shorthorn cattle industry on a huge high, with their Last Hoorah dispersal sale having all 213 lots sell at Broome, Jerilderie on Friday, October 30.

The four-hour marathon event was an incredible opportunity for Shorthorn cattle breeders from across the country and that was reflected in the results with an average of $7063 and top price of $30,000.

There was a 100 per cent clearance, including 113 cows and calves selling to a top price of $30,000, 94 heifers that sold to a top of $12,500 and three bulls, which sold to a top of $10,000.

The sale was also an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the 50 years stud principal Gillian Leeds has spent in the industry and her significant contribution to the breed.

The top-price buyers for the sale were Weebollabolla Shorthorns, Moree, which bought cow Leeds Jolly Fancy R1 with a roan bull calf at-foot for $30,000.

The red, pregnancy-tested-in-calf, six-year-old cow was by Outback Sprys Balance G266 and was out of one of the Leeds' best breeders, Leeds Dolly Fancy K29, which goes back to the well-known Kaluga Fancy cow line.

Weebollabolla managing director Jen Jeffreys said Leeds Jolly Fancy R1 was a beautiful female with a lovely slick skin type, excellent body capacity and outstanding phenotype, with the figures to match.

"She also has a tremendous-looking son, with a beautiful topline and lovely roan colour," Ms Jeffreys said.

"It's a fantastic genetic package, and we're thrilled to have been able to secure her and support Gillian's Last Hoorah."

The top-priced cow's bull calf was by Turanville Minister Q79, which sold in the sale for $10,000 to Sarah Sutton from Double S Shorthorns, Derrinallum, Vic.

"We were really impressed with his progeny, there were some phenomenal daughters and calves at foot from him sold during the sale," Ms Sutton said.

"We really liked that he worked well on a number of different types of cows."

Mrs Leeds said Minister had had a significant impact on the stud, siring more than 60 of its females, with his genetics giving small calves with high marbling traits.

The second top-priced lot was just behind, with Leeds Jazz Wayward R10 and her red heifer calf selling to Terralea Shorthorns, Dubbo, for $29,000.

The red, PTIC, six-year-old cow was by Futurity Junkyard Dog J82 and out of Leeds Compose Wayward J42, a cow that weighed more than 1000 kilograms, was in the top 1 per cent of the breed for marbling and never lost a calf.

The volume buyer was Simon Tooth, Tooth Pastoral, Bowna, who together with his partner Jess Sukkon, bought 36 lots in total including 18 cows and calves, 17 heifers and one bull.

Mr Tooth, who runs about 800 head of mostly Angus cattle, said he thought Mrs Leeds was one of the best cattle breeders in the country.

"There's nothing not to like about those cattle, they do well in a tough environment, they've got a long history, they have great structure and temperament and fertility that is second to none," he said.

Mr Tooth's partner Ms Sukkon said their company RSATH Cattle Genetic Australia planned to do a cross-breeding program.

"We want to cross these elite Shorthorn genetics with top-tier Angus lines to analyse molecular and phenotypic outcomes, evaluate commercial yield, and push the boundaries of both purebred and premium meat markets," she said.

Mr Tooth said they only set out to buy five or six and it was an incredible effort by his livestock carrier Whiteley's Livestock Transport to get them all home on Friday evening.

Leeds Shorthorns has retained loyal clients through the years, including Matthew Passmore, Forbes, who said he has been buying their cattle for about 25 years.

Mr Passmore said Mrs Leeds would leave a vacancy in the Shorthorn world that would be very hard to replace.

"She has made a significant contribution to the Shorthorn stud world and many commercial breeders are literally richer for her efforts and skill," Mr Passmore said.

When opening the sale Elders auctioneer Ryan Bajada said Mrs Leeds' legacy would continue through the impact her cattle would have in studs and commercial operations across Australia.

"I'd like to think it's not the end, it's passing the baton on to other people in the society and the industry to take these cattle forward into every corner of the country," Mr Bajada said.

Mrs Leeds said she was absolutely amazed by the result.

"It went off the planet, I couldn't believe it," she said.

"I'm just proud of the stud, I think they're beautiful cows and I've achieved more than I ever hoped to.

"And I'm proud of my kids, they've worked so hard for this sale."

Mrs Leeds said from the start she's always had a strict set of criteria for her cows, with a focus on fertility, structure and doing-ability.

"I made very strong rules from the get-go, she had to have a calf, they had to be feminine looking with long necks and nice long bodies with no high tail, and we've always bred big cows," she said.

Mrs Leeds' son David, who has helped her run the stud for many years, said when breeding cattle she had always managed to do more for less.

"She's actually bred cattle for breeding cattle, rather than chasing the highest price," Mr Leeds said.

"She's had in her mind how she wanted to breed them and she stuck to her guns."

End of an era after 93 years of Shorthorn breeding

The dispersal sale also marked the end of 93 years of Shorthorn breeding by generations of the Leeds family at Broome, under the stud names of Broome and Leeds Shorthorns.

Shorthorns first arrived at Broome in 1939 when Mrs Leeds' parents Clive and Tilly Brownless were gifted seven heifers and a yearling bull from their friends the McLarty family, who ran Lone Pine Shorthorns.

Clive was also a direct descendant of the Colling Brothers, who founded the Shorthorn breed in England.

Broome Shorthorn Stud was established in 1945 and Mrs Leeds returned home to run the stud in 1976, with three small children in tow, David, Wendy and Richard.

Mrs Leeds said it took a while to break into the industry, being the first female to step into the ring at the Dubbo Shorthorn National Show and Sale.

But her big moment came in 1982 when her bull Broome Legion was named grand champion out of a field of more than 300 bulls from across Australia.

"When we got towards the end of the judging Ken [who led the bull] said to 'I think you better go and put a bit of lippy on because I think you're going to take the big one out.'

"And we did, we got the grand champion, all these people were shocked."

In 2010 the decision was made to disperse Broome Shorthorns but Mrs Leeds decided to start again with just the eight cows that weren't offered in the sale, establishing Leeds Shorthorns.

Mrs Leeds continued her successful showing career and they had one of their most memorable years in 2024 when they claimed grand champion bull, senior champion bull and were awarded the most successful exhibitor.

She said she had always loved Shorthorn cattle for their maternal instincts and their ability to bounce back from a tough season.

"The cow will look after the calf until she dies and Shorthorns can go from skinny to fat in a couple of months if the season changes," she said.

"I didn't think we'd be able to have this sale earlier in the year because it was dry but then the season changed and now look at them."

One of Mrs Leeds' other passions has been breeding Koolie working dogs and the dispersal sale fittingly wrapped up with two of her Koolie puppies put up for auction and selling for a top of $2000.

The sale was conducted by Elders and Ray White with Elders' Ryan Bajada auctioneering alongside guest auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay, Linc'D Pty Ltd.