THE vintage 2021 spring bull selling season is powering a string of new breed record prices for bulls in recent weeks – in some cases knocking-off benchmarks that have stood for a decade or more.

At last count, five beef breeds have established new record highs for bulls over the past few weeks.

It’s not surprising, given the confidence-fuelled demand for replacement herd bulls, solid to outstanding season after two years of continental-scale drought, and relentless international demand for Australian beef.

Four of the five new records listed below have been set for tropically-adapted breeds, despite the fact that 64.7 percent of Queensland remains drought declared.

Records continue to fall like nine pins

Here’s a quick summary of records set over the past four or five weeks (click here to access Beef Central’s full breed record summary for bulls and females):

Senepol

A new $40,000 breed record for the tropically-adapted Bos taurus breed was set by Geoff Maynard and family, Maynard Cattle Co, Mt Eugene, Jambin QLD at their annual 5 Star Senepol bull sale.

The sale bull, 5 Star 201019, pictured left, eclipsed the previous record of $30,000 set at the same sale last year. 5 Star’s $14,247 average for a complete clearance of 73 bulls on Monday also set a new breed record average sale price.

Ultrablack

$35,000 for Palgrove Quantum, sold by Palgrove Stud, Dalveen QLD to Robert and Anna Hick, Julia Creek QLD, at Palgrove’s annual bull sale on September 10. The result eclipsed the previous $32,000 record set at the same sale a year earlier. Palgrove’s 2021 Ultrablack sale, held in conjunction with its Charolais offering, average of $20,172, setting a new Australian sale average record for the Ultrablack breed. While only a small offering, the complete clearance of 11 Palgrove Brangus bulls may also have set a new breed recorded average of $17,818.

Braford

Breaking a ten-year-old breed record, two Braford bulls re-set the breed’s high water mark on the same day at $50,000 during the National Braford Sale held on September 10 at Gracemere, Queensland.

First up was Carinya Yenda, sold by John & Jacquie Amor, Carinya Brafords, Dulacca QLD to Russell and Donna Kenny, Harriett Valley, Gayndah, followed by Double C P124 Playboy, sold by the Chad family’s Donrinda and Double C Studs, Dubbo, NSW to Daniel and Arlie Treloar, Trealor Grazing Co, Rockhampton.

The sale average of $13,208 for 133 bulls at the National Braford Sale on 14-15 September also set a new breed sale record average.

Santa Gertrudis

Andrew Bassingthwaighte and family’s Yarrawonga Santa Stud, Wallumbilla, Qld reset the breed’s bull record at its sale on September 9, selling Yarrawonga Katmandu R236 (pictured left) to Scott Ferguson’s Glenn Oaks Santa Gertrudis, QLD for $150,000. The previous record of $126,000 was set last year by Glen Oaks. No less than eight Santa bulls have eclipsed the $100,000 mark at four different sales held this spring.

The breed has also recorded a new sale average price record, when the Santa Central sale held last week averaged $21,212 for 97 bulls.

Angus

Angus bull breeders have re-set the bar twice this year, at sales only five weeks apart.

Texas Angus at Warialda NSW set a new $225,000 breed benchmark at the end of July, when 181 bulls sold in a complete clearance averaging $20,967. That milestone lasted only 35 days, when Ross Thompson’s Millah Murrah Sale three weeks ago sold a bull for $280,000. The sale also smashed the previous all-breeds record for average price, clearing all 118 bulls for an average of $34,220. Click here to view earlier report.

Hereford

Although not part of the recent spring sales record-setting sequence, Herefords re-set the breed record back in autumn sales in February when $160,000 was paid for Injemira Redford J006 Q287 sold by Injemira Herefords, Book Book, NSW to a syndicate including ABS Global Australia Beef, Ardno Herefords and Vielum Pastoral Co, Mudgee. That sale broke the breed record that had stood since 1986.

Other contenders

A $24,000 sale of a Simbrah bull at the Moongool Charolais and Simbrah sale on property at Yuleba, Queensland on Monday may also be a new record for the Simmental x Brahman composite breed. Moongool’s $13,039 average for its complete clearance of 51 Simbrah bulls is easily a record average price for any Simbrah sale.

Other breeds have gone close to their record highs in recent weeks. Droughtmaster bulls sold to $150,000 during the Droughtmaster National multi-vendor Bull sale in Rockhampton last week – not far from the breed’s record high of $180,000 set a decade ago by Glenlands.

• Click here to access Beef Central’s full breed record summary for bulls and females.