The Bingara-based Booroomooka Angus Stud surpassed expectations on Friday 13 August 2021, in what could be the largest single vendor one-day sale in Australia, knocking down a full clearance of 232 bulls for a top of $48,000, an impressive average of $17,262 and a gross of over $4 million during their annual sale.
Local repeat buyer Dr Una Denham of Tingha, who “always buys a good bull,” according to Hugh Munro of Booroomooka, purchased the $48,000 sale-topper Booroomooka Quambi Q307.
As a two-year-old, he weighed 836 kilograms and was sired by Landfall Keystone K132 out of the EF Complement 8088 daughter, in Booroomooka Sarca N147.
Exhibiting a credible data set, he had eight traits in the top one percent of the breed, including all indexes, 200-, 400-, and 600-day weights and carcass weight, and was top 5 percent or above for gestation length and days to calving.
Dr Denham plans to use the leading sire over heifers.
Queensland-based Yarrawonga Partnership and Tasmanian-based Buringal Grazing paid the second top price of $40,000 for Booroomooka Quilpie Q12, a son of Rennylea L519 that weighed 884kg and had 11 traits in the top 10 percent of the breed.
He will be a walking sire in Queensland, while semen will be used in Tasmania. Auctions Plus held a lot of action, with 28 successful bidders purchasing 66 lots of the sale.
This included John Graham, Emerald, purchasing Booroomooka Quality Q5, another Rennylea L519 son for $38,000. Demand for Rennylea L519's sons continued through the draft, with 56 sons sold for an average of $19,750.
Of this, 39 two-year-old sons averaged $20,974 and 17 yearling sons averaged $16,941. Impressive sales of L519 sons included Lot 209, Booroomooka Lorenzo Q756 who sold for $34,000 to Frank White and family, Tangley Grazing at Guyra.
Also, Consolidated Pastoral Company paid $34,000 for Lot 210, Booroomooka Lorenzo Q758 Regular buyers of leading Booroomooka Bulls, Bill and Margie Doak, paid $36,000 for Booroomooka Beast Mode Q81 by the popular sire in Baldridge Beast Mode B074.
Overall, they took home three bulls for a $28,333 average. The most prolific buyer of the day was Jim Nivison, SN Nivison and Co, Walcha, who bought 12 bulls at an $18,000 average.
Phil and Di Johnston and their son Scott, Maderty, and Coonabarabran, put together a draft of 10 bulls for their 800-head self-replacing commercial Angus operation.
“We are in a rebuilding phase and because we are self-replacing, we put a lot of emphasis on the maternal characteristics, good to moderate growth and we picked up a mix of heifer bulls, so low birthweight, and cow bulls,” the Johnstons said.
“We are chasing a type rather than certain bloodlines or sire lines.”
“Our premium steers are sold into the feedlot market around the high 400-kilogram mark… they usually go to Mort & Co or Whyalla Feedlot. Surplus heifers are sold via AuctionsPlus.”
Committed to breeding high-quality cattle, Sinclair Munro of Booroomooka said they were very pleased with the result, and it was great to see support from local buyers right through to interstate buyers.
“We are proud of the bulls, proud of the day, proud of our staff and the people that bought bulls and made this day possible.” Mr Munro said.
“The commercial support drove the average, but there was support right through with leading studs operating. It’s rewarding to see legends of the cattle industry come and see the bulls, people who I have looked up to growing up, came back to see the Booroomooka cattle. It makes me proud.”
The selling agents were Davidson Cameron and Co with auctioneers Luke Scicluna and Tom Tanner. Mr Scicluna said the bids were thick and fast from lot one through to lot 250.
