This is branded content for the Central Reds Droughtmaster Sale

At the Central Reds Droughtmaster Bull Sale, you can raise your hand to bid with confidence, as each bull is backed by the proven viability and industry success of the vendor’s own commercial beef operations.

You are truly buying-in to a circle of blue-ribbon-winning Droughtmaster genetics which have been industry benchmarked for top performance. Whether you are a breeder operation looking to sell weaners, or grow out feeder steers that attract repeat buyers, or wanting to finish cattle with carcase traits sought after by processors, then there is a bull in this sale draft suited for your job.

The Central Reds bull sale features ten seedstock producers which have all achieved some exemplary results, from feature sales, hoof and hook competition frontrunners and top-of-the-grid carcase sale results. Their commercial beef operations, speaks to the performance of their sires to be offered on Tuesday, September 26, 10am at the Emerald saleyards.

The bulls will be available for inspections on Monday, September 25 from 4pm, with 72 top quality Droughtmaster bulls set to go under the hammer.

Seymour Droughtmasters, Rob and Kirstie Orphant strive to breed industry relevant cattle with eye appeal, and the recent success of their son’s Riley and Thomas, is proof of their commitment.

Riley and Thomas Orphant backed up their win at the Gympie Beef Carcase Classic for the second year in a row, winning Reserve Champion All-rounder Carcase. They were Champion and Reserve Champion for under 18 Most Suitable Carcase for the Domestic Market, and Champion under 18 All-rounder Carcase.

The Orphants place a big emphasis on their female herd, sourcing only the most elite Droughtmaster genetics. This makes for consistent lines of sires that breed-on. They strive to maintain functional, fertile, well-muscled and structurally correct cattle that are bred on the coast in tick country, near Woolooga. Seymour Droughtmasters stand behind their product, their bulls are semen and morphology tested, and ready to go to work.

Konjuli Stud, Sean and Evonne Barrett are proud of their family-run operation, near Woolooga, which has kicked a big goal this year, achieving a 90 per cent conception rate in their commercial herd over a 100-day joining period.

The Barrett’s have been BreedPlan members since 2018 and are focused on driving performance traits within their herd, in order to breed bulls of extreme commercial viability for their clients.

They sell well-educated weaners into the store market and consistently receive glowing feedback from buyers, who are able to reap the rewards of premium MSA graded carcase results, using Konjuli Droughtmaster genetics.

Hillside Droughtmasters, Kurt and Melissa Angus, rely on their stud operation to drive their commercial breeding, backgrounding and finishing success on Dawson Vale Station, south of Charters Towers.

Over the past five years they have taken the time to benchmark the performance of their genetics. Their recent win as the Most Successful Commercial Cattle Competition Exhibitor at the 2023 Northern Beef Producers Expo, is testament to their aim of breeding cattle of commercial relevance. Melissa Angus said their breeding programs are heavily focused on the end product: Teys Grasslands and EU accredited beef with consistent MSA graded carcase performance.

The Angus family are pleased with their sale bulls heading to the Central Reds sale. “Our bulls are bred in tough country which ensures they can thrive in a range of environments,” Mrs Angus said. They are lightly prepared for sale and ready to go to work.”

Mostyndale Droughtmasters, Kevin and Leesa Woolcock, Springsure, have been MSA accredited for 15 years. Their stud genetics are integral to consistently producing premium MSA graded Droughtmaster beef.

The Woolcock’s are able to maintain a self-replacing breeding herd, all the while driving growth performance to produce steers with a 300 to 340 kilogram carcase weight, for the MSA grassland market through Teys Rockhampton.

The Woolcock’s utilise the myMSA software program to benchmark their herd, to ensure they are consistently producing cattle with true value-adding performance traits for the commercial beef industry.

Vale View Droughtmaster Stud, has been in the seedstock selling industry for over 30 years. This has given Dave, Colleen and Mac Smith time to form a strong foundation of highly fertile females, which is the heart of their program. They believe in producing consistent lines of cattle as a measurement of their success. A member of Breedplan for 14 years, this has assisted them in improving the genetic merit and profitability of their herd.

Whether it’s Vale View steers sold, or calves produced by their bulls, buyers are giving positive feedback on both feedlot and grass finished performance. Their bulls and females sold have topped numerous stud auction sales throughout QLD over the years, reflecting years of dedicated breeding under enforced selection pressures.

Vale View have achieved commercial success over the years, winning the Best Pen of Droughtmaster steers at the 2020 Biggenden All Breeds Steer sale, as well as High Point Droughtmaster Exhibit at Carcass competitions. Progeny of their past sale bulls have also won numerous major awards at Toogoolawah Weaner Sales.

Kenlogan Droughtmaster stud, Andrew Harvey said his family have been producing Droughtmaster bulls since the early 1980s, north of Clermont. They have a strong commercial base, focused on breeding a moderate frame animal with medium to late maturity, and with the ability to thrive in the QLD tropics. The Kenlogan bulls come with temperaments that can’t be faulted. Muscle, scale and walking ability are also key traits.

Over the last 30 years Kenlogan commercial fat and store cattle can be seen out and about in the local Clermont show, with many ribbons over the years. Most recently, winning the Most Successful Exhibitor for 15 head and under at the 2022 show. In 2021, Kenlogan steers won Best Pen of weaner steers at the Belyando Beef Expo.

Mr Harvey said he is pleased with the Central Reds team this year, which have been prepared on fertilised forage crop, and with access to a grain ration. “There are several good sire prospects in the team as well as the usual bulls to suit the commercial breeder,” Mr Harvey said.

Red River Droughtmasters, Tomas Flohr said his family have been breeding commercial cattle for over 80 years. Mr Flohr manages the family property near Nebo, where his Red River stud bulls support the commercial breeding herd.

The Red River Droughtmaster stud breeding program is commercially orientated, with the aim to breed bulls for their even temperament, good carcase weight and overall good fertility.

Mr Flohr said this allows them to breed versatile cattle with excellent weight-for-age, which gives them the flexibility to target a wider range of markets. Producing weaners to enter the feeder steer job, quality heifers for the restocker market and grass-fed bullocks.

Red River Arkansas won the Reserve Senior Champion bull at the Sarina Show this year, this bull will be available at the Central Reds Droughtmaster sale this year.

Strathfield 9JE Droughtmasters was formed in 2017 as a branch of the family-owned Strathfield herd, a foundation member of the Droughtmaster Stud Breeders Society. The 9JE brand has been in the Perry family for 126 years and stud principal, Josh Perry is the sixth generation of Perry’s to become the brand custodian. Josh and partner Lauren live on Telemon, north of Banana. Their focus is to continue to grow and develop a consistent line of Droughtmaster breeders, from which selected bulls will be put through the Central Reds sale in years to come.

Strathfield 9JE cattle are selected with a particular emphasis on temperament, good confirmation, fertility, weight gain, mothering ability and survivability. Their commercial operation has recently become MSA accredited, which will allow Strathfield 9JE genetics to be benchmarked for carcase performance, using MSA feedback. This will ensure cattle donned with the 9JE brand are proven consistent performers for the commercial beef markets.

Molan Droughtmasters, Andrew and Molly Clarke, run a family-owned and operated stud and commercial property, near Thangool. They are dedicated to the genetic improvement of their stud herd, in order to continuously produce stud stock with strong maternal lines, with the survivability to thrive in various climatic and environmental conditions. Mr Clarke said Droughtmasters make for good mothers, remaining fertile and holding their condition, all the while consistently rearing a good calf.

Molan Droughtmasters have been injected with a wealth of genetic improvements, through recent breeding programs including AI, ET and IVF work. They are striving to produce an exceptional line of females which will consistently supply industry relevant progeny, whilst adapting BreedPlan within their herd to utilise its benefits.

Molan Droughtmaster genetics support their own self-replacing Droughtmaster herd. Their highly fertile breeders are multi-functional – producing replacement heifers and cross-bred progeny which are destined to hit the MSA Grasslands market. The Droughtmaster breed offers their commercial operation the ability to target a range of markets.

Wetheron Droughtmasters, Drew and Jade Garside, run their stud herd in-conjunction with a commercial breeding, backgrounding, finishing and cropping operation on their family property, Hazledeen, between Capella and Clermont. Fertility is the centrepiece of both their stud and commercial herds.

Drew Garside said they drive productivity through selecting for highly fertile females. “Our females must consistently produce a good calf year-in-year-out on a tight joining window – no exceptions,” Mr Garside said.

This practice has made for more even lines of their Droughmaster-Charolais-Braham crossbred steers which are targeted at the EU and Grasslands accredited market, achieving a 300 to 360kg carcase weight at 18 to 24 months-of-age.

The Garsides integrate their cattle into their cropping enterprise, yearling cattle are grazed on stubble and cover fodder crops of tillage radish and triticale, with some impressive average daily weight gains. Mr Garside said their opportunistic feedlot allows them to track the performance of their commercial cattle, right through the supply chain, ensuring their steers have the structure to stand up to the task of 70 to 100 days grain-fed, to produce a top-of-the-grid carcase everytime.

For more sale day information and to view this year’s sale bulls please visit the Central Reds website or visit the Central Reds Facebook page.

This is branded content for the Central Reds Droughtmaster Sale