Rockhampton Brahman Week saw long held records tumble and while grey bulls presented an impressive start to the sale it was the red sires that raised the bar further to achieve the highest average price.
Buyer numbers and strong bids were testament to the quality line up of cattle through the ring with 332 red bulls offered and sold for an average of $12,372.
Buyers, vendors and stud stock agents alike were stunned when the Johnson family, Grafton, sold polled sire Jomanda El Toro 802 for a record price of $150,000 to Darren and Sue Kent of the Ooline Brahman Stud, Goovigen.
The 22-month-old bull offered a 33cm scrotal circumference and P8 and rib fat depths of 10 and six millimetres respectively.
Australian Brahman Breeders Association general manager John Croaker said the record price beat the previous top of $90,000 set in 2006.
Earlier in the sale Jim and Bonnie Besley, Bungarribee, Barmoya, sold Bungarribee Imrand 2147 for $85,000 to the Radel family, Kandoona Stud, Injune.
At just 23 months of age the bull weighed in at 818kg and measured a 42cm scrotal circumference with P8 and rib fat measurements of 10 and seven and an EMA of 131 to boot.
Reade and Jill Radel, Yebna, Injune, sold three bulls for an average of $31,833 with one sire, Jileaba 437, selling for the third top price of $75,000 to Noel and Manny Sorley, Mt Callan, Bell.
Mr and Mrs Sorley later sold Mt Callan Paroo 191/15 for $40,000 to Brett Hick, Linfield Cattle Company, Julia Creek.
The Radel family, Kandoona Stud, Injune, sold a further 23 bulls as a separate entity for a gross of $333,000 and a spectacular $14,478 average.
Also of note, the Wall family, Wallton Downs Brahman Stud, Clermont, sold polled sire Wallton Downs El Paso to the Gibbs family, Muan, Biggenden, for $55,000.
Interested buyers were granted an early look at Ken and Wendy Cole’s Kenrol Jesseppi 2736 when he received the award for World Brahman Congress reserve senior champion bull and Rockhampton Show interbreed champion earlier this year.
The bull lived up to his previous success selling for $34,000 to Cressbank Cattle Company, Alpha.
Fenech Grazing sold 24 bulls for a total of $428,000 and an average purchase price of $17,833- well above the overall average price for red bulls.
Contingents of the Kirk family exhibiting under individual stud prefixes also reaped the rewards of passion and dedication to breeding top quality Brahman cattle, with Lachlan and Stephanie Kirk, Mundubbera, selling Carinya L Rolo to Mogul Brahman Stud, Maclean, New South Wales, for $30,000.
Matthew Kirk, Mundubbera, followed his son into the ring to sell Carinya M Double Century to Margaret and Andy Olsen, Neslo Brahmans, Thordon Park, Wandoan, also for $30,000.
Justin and Hayley Titmarsh, Reldarah Stud, Kyilla, Condamine, sold 11 bulls to average $13,318 while the Gibbs family, Muan Brahman Stud, sold 16 bulls averaging $10,906.
Following their earlier top price purchase Darren and Sue Kent, Ooline Brahman Stud, Goovigen, went on to sell nine sires for an average price of $19,277 to close out what was an uplifting Brahman Week for 2016.
