Community & Business
30 July, 2021
All records broken at Elrose bonanza
A three day auction sale of stud Brahman cows, the magnitude of which has never before been attempted in the Northern Australian cattle industry, broke records and exceeded all expectations at “Inverrio” Duaringa last week.
BY SALLY TURLEY
THE “Elrose” Stud Breeder Major Reduction Sale, which offered nearly 1000 lots over three big days, grossed $6,393,750 to make it the biggest, highest grossing, single vendor sale of stud cattle, ever in the history of the Australian cattle industry.
With buyer activity from as far away as the Northern Territory, New South Wales and all areas of Queensland, the quality females on offer, many with calves at foot, achieved an outstanding sale average of $6,920 per head with a total clearance of all lots.
But while the cattle on sale originated from the sale of a highly respected western stud operation based near Cloncurry, the auction was held at the Nobbs Cattle Company's selling complex in Central Queensland, much of the support for the sale came from North Queensland.
The strong buying support from northern bull breeders and commercial producers was noted as a feature of a sale which registered 97 individual buying entities.
Bidding was intense and highly competitive, with the sale’s four auctioneers, Troy Trevor, Nick Malone, Wayne York and Ken McCaffrey “dropping the hammer” at an average of just over a minute a lot.
Roland Everingham Jnr of Oak Park Station Einasleigh, was very active throughout the sale to put together an impressive line of 45 females with 42 calves at foot, bidding to $14,000 on two occasions for quality young cows with promising heifer calves by their sides.
Everingham Pastoral Company also invested in three of the Sale's proven sires, paying to a top of $15,000 for the imposing 5 year old grey Brahman bull, Elrose 15312.
Bill German of Hurricane Station, north of Mareeba, was another volume purchaser, bidding online to put together a significant draft of 24 lots of principally cow/calf units, which travelled north post sale to boost the quality of his breeding herd near Mt Carbine.
The Pedracini family of Lornevale Station, Georgetown said the sale provided a “chance of a lifetime” and were very happy with their draft of 11 head of cow/calf units, PTIC cows and heifers.
Darren and Melissa paid to a top of $16,500 for cow/calf Lot 394, Elrose 14871 to average just over $10,645 per head.
Their draft included Lot 171, a heifer purchased for $12,100 and a run of PTIC cows that averaged $6,000 per head.
Mrs Pedracini said the addition of these quality females would help take their own stud operation to the next level.
Charters Towers graziers Michael and Michelle Lyons of Wambiana Station spent just over $455,000, concentrating on quality cow and calf combinations. They purchased 63 cows, 59 of which came with calves to average $7,230.
Turley Cattle Company of Wandovale Station, Charters Towers also put together a good line of 47 cow/calf units, paying to a top of $16,000 for a draft that included nearly all bull calves at foot and pregnancy tested in calf again females.
Their selection included the commanding $10,000 sire, Elrose 13399. Overall, the 657 cow/calf units on offer, grossed $5,054,500 to achieve a top price of $28,000 and a $7,692 average.
The 192 PTIC cows grossed $803,750, with a top price of $20,000 to average $4,168.
The draft of 61 unjoined heifers sold to a top of $16,000 to gross $291,500 and averaged $4,779 per head, while the 14 proven sires presented for sale sold to a top of $40,000 to achieve a gross of $245,000 and a very healthy average price of $17,500.
Keen volume buying support was evident with 13 individual buyers purchasing 20 or more lots at the sale.
“Purchasers clearly recognised the unique opportunity this genuine Reduction of Elrose females represented and backed it with very positive, sustained bidding,” Queensland Rural Manager, Troy Trevor commented.
McCaffrey's Australian Livestock Marketing principal and sale coordinator, Ken McCaffrey said they were still delivering the cattle to their new owners a week after the end of the sale and believed the sale's record results highlighted the current strength and positive outlook of the Australian beef industry.
Vendors Rodger and Lorena Jefferis wanted the industry to know that their enduring love of Brahman cattle mean't Elrose Stud would be continuing and they would be supplying the Lancefield Invitation and Big Country Brahman sales as well as their paddock sale clients from their new home base, “Brigalow” at Moura into the future.
