Mount William stud hits $20,000 twice with Charolais bulls

It did not take long for the first top-priced bull to hit $20,000, purchased by Narweena Station, Woodhouse.

Lot 1 was a 23-month-old son of Palgrove Hannibal, being in the top 10 per cent of the breed for calving ease direct and carcase weight.

Narweena Station co-principal George Crocombe had been supporting the Willaura stud for 23 years, purchasing bulls to use in his 900-head commercial herd operation.

"Part of the reason we keep coming back is the quality of the bulls, and they've got a good temperament which is important to us," Mr Crocombe said.

Narweena Station also bought the equal top-priced bull - Lot 3 - a homozygous polled sire by Mount William Kakadu, with a semen share retained by Mount William.

"We sold 511 steers and heifers by Mount William bulls in January and we felt it best to reinvest in genetics which are going to keep performing," Narweena Station co-principal Robert Perkins said.

Mount William's second and third top-priced bulls were picked up by Appleton Cattle Co, Charters Towers, Queensland.

The two bulls - Lot 8 and Lot 13 - were also sons of Palgrove Hannibal, picked for their softness, skin type and polled genetics.

"They had purchased these bulls for use in their purebred Charolais herd," a representative for Appleton Cattle Co said.

"The best sons of these bulls will then be used as herd bulls in Appleton Cattle Co's crossbred herd, which is producing organic grassfed bullocks."

In the female section of the sale both top-priced females - Lot 56 and Lot 70 - were picked up by buyers using the AuctionsPlus platform.

Mount William stud principal Rob Abbott was very humbled by the results of the sale and the support received.

"I'm really happy with the clearance and the strength of the top-end bulls, but there were affordable bulls and they were good bulls as well," Mr Abbott said.

"I think the draft didn't really have any holes in it which gave all our clients the opportunity to purchase bulls to their budget.

"It couldn't have gone out in a better fashion being the last sale at this complex before we move into our main cattle yards for 2022."

Another feature female was a March 2019-drop heifer, whose proceeds were donated to the Mito Foundation to raise awareness for Mitochondrial disease, after losing Mr Abbott's mother-in-law in 2020.

"It was fitting to see her proceeds go to supporting a cause close to our hearts," he said.