Australia's first Beefmaster bull sale averages $1...

It was a relaxed atmosphere amongst the 40 or so guests in the green surrounds of the first Australian Beefmaster Breeders open day and sale held at Old Corry, Capella.

The cattle spoke for themselves as commercial breeders from all corners of the state registered their bid cards last Friday morning.

With 14 bulls offered through the online sale, all were cleared to achieve a solid $13,429 average, while the two semen packages offered grossed $2375.

Stud principals and founders of Beefmaster Breeders Australia Will Haviland, Sugerland Beefmasters, and Brenten Donaldson, Donaldson Beefmasters, were elated with the result.

"It was the first sale of a breed in the country and it averaged $13,429, we couldn't be happier with that," Mr Donaldson said.

It was Cameron and Judy Hicks, Rubyvale, who secured the top selling bull early in the piece when they purchased SL Resoluut (P) for $20,000 at lot one.

Sired by WB Solution (IMP US) and out of Sugerland 918, the rising two-year-old bull weighed in at 860 kilograms, with an eye muscle area of 130 square centimetres, P8 and rib fat of 14mm and 9mm respectively, and an intramuscular fat of 5.5 per cent.

With a scrotal circumference of 40cm, Resoluut had a semen motility of 85pc.

The Hicks family own and operate a commercial cattle breeding and fattening operation between their two properties at Rubyvale and Bauhinia; Keilambete Station and Swag Park.

Ms Hicks said their interest was piqued earlier in the year when they saw the bulls marketed at Beef Australia.

"They've got bone, they've got length and beautiful temperament," she said.

"We will be putting Resoluut over some high grade Brahman/Droughtmaster-cross heifers at our Rubyvale property," she said.

Mr Donaldson said buying interest came from as far north as Boulia and Julia Creek, with several locals from between Springsure to Dysart.

"You go into sales without too many expectations and you go in there just hoping the people are going to enjoy your cattle and see what you see in them," he said.

"It was largely a commercially-driven sale and the bulls had all the attributes the people were looking for in their own herds."

The second-top priced bull was purchased by Guy Keats, Julia Creek, whose family were actually the first to import Beefmaster genetics into Australia in the 1970s.

Mr Keats purchased the Donaldson Beefmaster bull, DB Arnold (P), for $18,000.

A half brother to the sale topper, Arnold was sired by WB Solution (IMP US) and out of Medway Ainhoa.

The 19-month-old bull tipped the scales at 786kg, with an eye muscle area of 132sq cm, P8 and rib fat of 13mm and 10mm respectively, and an IMF of 4.3pc.

With a scrotal circumference of 38cm, Arnold had a semen motility of 90pc.

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GDL agent Georgie Connor said she was very proud to be associated with the sale, especially being the first offering of Beefmaster bulls in Australia.

"With a sale average like that, it was a very solid sale, and only one bull sold for under $10,000," she said.

"The article that they're putting forward has all those traits that a commercial cattleman would want to source to improve their herd, so I think that they put the article forward and were very much supported by that style of buyer looking to improve their herd and those carcase traits."

Ms Connor said what impressed her most about the breed was their temperament and overall correctness.

"The day I photographed the cattle in the yards, they stood up very quickly and it was very clear to me that they were structurally correct, sound and easy to handle," she said.

"On the day there were two younger bulls at the back of the draft and certainly people that walked amongst those bulls could appreciate that even in those young bulls they could see the potential and attributes to suit a commercial herd."

With a variety of different postcodes, Ms Connor said buying interest was fairly spread which to her indicated everyone was very aware of the sale and keen to see the results.

"The Beefmasters Australia group have a vision and they knew what article they were looking for," she said.

"They've sourced those genetics and put that back into those herds in Australia and then to have a sale and get those results is extraordinary really."

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