It’s that time of the year again when national Brahman breeders will flock to the CQLX Saleyards for the annual three-day Rockhampton Brahman Week Bull Sale.
Held from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 October, over 830 lots of red and grey Brahmans will enter the sale ring for the live auction.
First to go under the hammer are the 443 lots of grey bulls on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the 390 lots of red bulls on the second half of Tuesday and Wednesday.
High attendee numbers are expected for this year’s sale, with vendors, buyers and many Brahman breeders travelling from across the nation to attend.
Members of the Australian Brahman Breeders Association (ABBA) are invited to the RGM Maintenance RBWS Gathering on Sunday 6 October at CQLX, with a complimentary steak buffet.
ABBA president and Brahman Week chairman Reade Radel expressed his thoughts on the upcoming sale.
“This is one of the biggest single breed sales in Australia and quite possibly anywhere,” Mr Radel said.
“Overall the sale as a whole has a very strong lineup of bulls.”
A total of 837 bulls were offered at last year’s Brahman Week, with a clearance rate of 92 per cent, 772 lots.
At last year’s Brahman Week sale, Tarramba True North 4664, a now three-year-old red polled sire offered by Gunthorpe Cattle Company claimed the top-priced bull having sold for $120,000 to purchaser Reedybrook B Brahmans, East Palmerston.
Last year’s top-priced grey bull, Doonside 2794, offered by Bill Geddes of Doonside, Rockhampton, sold for $90,000 to Matthew and Janelle McCamley, Eulogie, Dululu.
Following his 40 years of agricultural and Brahman breeding experience, Mr Radel believes the sale bulls have certain high-quality features.
“Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed there is a high demand for polled bulls,” he said.
“This sale will probably have the highest percentage of polled bulls, weights and EV scans we have ever seen.”