Oasis Droughtmasters’ top priced bull sold this morning at Gracemere was homozygous poll, Oasis A Cracker Jack D5, bought for $280,000, on the way to an incredible vendor average of more than $72,000
CONFIDENCE in yet another better-than-average summer season across much of northern Australia and a booming export beef market outlook has underpinned a record-breaking result during the annual Droughtmaster National Bull sale being staged in Rockhampton this week.
The two-day sale being staged today and yesterday offering 450 bulls – many chosen as the pick of the calf drop by vendors – has produced some eye-catching results. Nothing fuels bull sales like buyer confidence and optimism, and it was evident in spades at the Gracemere selling complex this morning.
Setting what may be an all-breeds Australian record vendor average for bulls was Noel, Robyn and Adam Geddes’ Oasis Droughtmaster Stud, Dingo, which sold its run of 13 bulls this morning for an incredible average of $72,885* – grossing $947,500 for less than a deck-load of cattle.
Editor’s note: We’ve since become aware of a much smaller ‘offering’ of bulls sold at the 2024 Rockhampton Brangus sale that produced an even higher average. The Madden family from Earlwood Brangus, Duaringa sold five bulls averaging $83,000. In terms of record claims, the issue becomes what constitutes a ‘line’ or a ‘run’ of bulls offered in a sale. Clearly, 13 bulls is a much larger offering than five.
Nine of the Oasis draft were homozygous or heterozygous polls.
Beef Central has scanned seedstock sale records – including the red-hot Wagyu bull selling period 2022-23 – and can find no vendor average for bulls of any breed higher than this. If readers can advise us of a higher figure for a reasonable number of bulls sold in a single sale, we’ll happily amend this claim.
The Oasis draft topped at $280,000 – the second highest price paid in the breed’s history, and within sight of the Droughtmaster breed record of $320,000.
The top-priced Oasis bull, homozygous Poll, Oasis A Cracker Jack D5, a September 2023 calf by boom sire Hamadra Harley attracted 32 bids after starting at just $10,000, eventually selling (three-quarter share and possession) to Sam Barton, Huntley Droughtmasters, Rolleston.
Buyers of the Oasis bulls were a mix of stud and commercial bullock breeders – some paying more than $50,000 for commercial herd improvers. Some of the other buyers included Fernie Cattle Co, Blackwater ($120,000), Bar-Jay Droughtmasters ($100,000) and Dalmally Droughtmasters ($70,000).
Oasis has had a strong track record at the breed’s showcase Rocky National Sale, producing the $220,000 top priced bull in 2022.
Day One of the annual Droughtmaster National sale yesterday saw 171 bulls sell for a 94pc clearance, averaging $13,748, but today’s market (selling continues this afternoon) has stepped up a notch, with averages well up on yesterday. Full sale results will appear tomorrow among Beef Central’s Recently Completed Bull Sales statistics.
Simon Gleeson
Droughtmaster Society chief executive Simon Gleeson said the overall National Sale result this year was going to be “well and truly up on last year,” underlining the fact that there was still huge commercial and seedstock interest in quality Droughtmaster genetics.
“The commercial cattle market and the season are certainly in our favour,” Mr Gleeson said.
BOM’s latest three-month outlook suggests better than average rainfall for large parts of northern and eastern Australia over the October to December period.
(Editor’s note: Since this item weas originally published earlier today, Day Two selling is now completed – in total 328 bulls sold, clearance 85pc, average $16,315. That figure was up substantially from last year’s average of $14,500.)