Delayed Strathmore Santa Gertrudis sale sets records for Walker family

The Strathmore Santa Gertrudis sale might have been postponed three times and held three weeks later than planned, but it still resulted in a record price for Blackall's Walker family.

Much of the region had more rain in October than in anybody's living memory, and the bright green buffel grass waving from the paddocks on the drive out to the on-property sale accentuated the positivity abounding in the cattle industry at present.

That mood translated to the sale ring, where the Walker family had their best result in 26 years of selling from their home base.

Clearing all 110 bulls offered, the sale reached a top price of $80,000 and an overall average of $17,272.

In comparison, in 2025, all 113 bulls offered were sold for a top of $50,000 and an average of $14,071.

Breaking the 2026 figures down, 70 classified S bulls were sold for an average of $18,200, and 40 herd bulls brought an average of $15,650.

Monday's sale grossed $1,910,000.

Although the sale results pages were dotted with familiar names, it was a first-time buyer, the Yugilbar Santa Gertrudis stud, based at Baryulgil in the Clarence Valley, NSW that outlaid the top money of $80,000, outbidding Longreach Santa Gertrudis stud Bendalla for the deep cherry red bull, Strathmore W176.

Sired by Munnabah Tasman 1610 and out of Strathmore T235, a first-calf heifer, the polled 23-month-old bull weighed 826kg, had an average daily weight gain of 1.13kg, P8 and rib fat scans of 10 and 8 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.6 per cent, a scrotal size of 38cm, and semen morphology of 78pc.

Representing the buyers, Santa Gertrudis Australia classifier Russell Yeates said Yugilbar's general manager Brett Ellem and his team were looking for a bull that was a good all-round package.

"We felt this bull had a good tropical presence about him - very free moving - he was smooth through the shoulders, deep ribbed and thick as butter with a nice strong top, (and) a nice tidy underline," he said. "His raw data was very desirable."

Mr Yeates said he'd followed him through the system as a classifier, where he marked him out as a standout bull.

He'll go into Yugilbar's stud program.

"They've tried on a couple of occasions (to buy from Strathmore) but this is a first purchase for them," Mr Yeates added.

The bull was also a favourite of Strathmore stud principal Ian Walker, who said he was going to be a top stud sire.

"He's got a beautiful top line, right through the body," he said.

Pictures by Sally Gall

Taroom's Jamally Cattle Co paid the second top price of the sale, $40,000 for one of the first few bulls into the ring, Strathmore Wesley W486, a homozygous polled bull sired by Waco Quinn Q126.

He weighed 866kg, had an average daily weight gain of 1.18kg, a scrotal size of 37cm, semen morphology of 87pc, P8 and rib scans of 11 and 8mm, an EMA of 133sq cm, and IMF of 6.4pc.

The top herd bull, Strathmore W12, a poll scurred bull, was knocked down to the RD Hay Family Trust, Kismet, Jericho, for $28,000.

He's a son of Yarrawonga Pioneer P46, a PP bull.

The Hays finished the sale with five bulls for an average of $19,600.

The biggest volume buyer was Dean Anderson from the Willsdown Pastoral Co, based at Windsor Park at Boulia and Westlands at Longreach.

He bought 16 bulls for an average price of $10,250.

His agent Richard Simpson, Simstock Rural Agencies, Longreach said they had a property at Woodstock, near Ayr, and were looking for a certain article, blooded and tropical.

"These bulls are bred in the west, they have a better constitution for where they're going," he said.

Regular Strathmore buyers, Trish and Eddie Dennis from the Mistake Creek Cattle Co above Clermont were the sale's second-top volume buyer, finishing with nine bulls for an average price of $20,000.

The strongest online bidder was King Creek Pastoral, based at Cluny Station at Bedourie, buying 10 bulls for $15,200.

They were one of five successful online bidders.

The Walker family had to postpone their sale three times - Ben Walker said they'd had a plan B but ended up with plan D - thanks to continual rain, leading to localised flooding around Tambo and Blackall through the latter half of October.

"As it turned out it didn't matter - we've had one of the best averages we've had for many years," Ian Walker said. "I think the rain probably gave people a bit of confidence to come along."

Normally an integral part of the western Queensland Santa Gertrudis sale circuit, Mr Walker said they hadn't suffered from having to disconnect from that and sell later.

"We live that far away that only genuine buyers come along," he said. "It's a bit far for sightseers to come."

• Selling agent: Elders, interfaced with AuctionsPlus