Rangan Charolais sells complete 2023 bull draft at Charleroi

Graeme and Liz Cook of Rangan Charolais sold 38 bulls to a top price of $22,000 to average $9447 at Charleroi on Friday.

They said their result is even more impressive because their average was almost $1000 higher compared to their 2022 sale, particularly when many averages have taken a hit due to easing saleyard beef prices.

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New and long-term clients collectively underpinned the sale, according to the family, while the auction was supported by a broad buying gallery.

Only two volume buyers walked away with three bulls each.

"We are extremely happy with the result, it's actually a bit humbling really," Mr Cook said.

"For us, it just shows we need to continue with what we're breeding.

"We're very pleased that most of the top-priced bulls were bred by our own home-bred bulls."

Rangan Quartermaster S145, Lot 16, was the top-priced bull of the sale with a price tag of $22,000.

The bull was purchased by the Salier family of Minnie Vale Charolais, Narrabri NSW, and sold as the second bull of the sale due to the increased interest in the lead up to the auction.

The 20-month-old homozygous polled bull was sired by Rangan Quartermaster Q19 and out of Rangan Nanette P46.

Mr Salier said the bull would be joined to a group of mixed-aged stud cows at the end of July.

"The most important thing to us is that he was homozygous polled and softly built with a very good temperament," he said.

"He was also structurally sound with a really good spread of estimated breeding values data."

The bull was in the top 3 per cent of the breed's Domestic Terminal Index, top 5pc for direct calving ease and top 10pc for gestation length, birth weight, 600-day growth, milk, EMA, rump and IMF.

The second top-priced bull, Lot 11, Rangan Quarterback S128, was knocked down for $16,000 to PJ & SJ Wallis, Gundowring.

The June 2021-drop bull was sired by Rangan Quarterback Q86 and out of Rangan Showgirl H30.

Mr Cook said the sires of the two dearest bulls were sold during the family's 2021 bull sale for $18,000 and $21,000, respectively.

He said the stud retained semen rights in both sires of the two 2023 top-priced bulls, and would continue to use them throughout the breeding program.

"Another important thing for the stud is that we have all the full blood heifer sisters to all these bulls we sold in the sale," Mr Cook said.

"The strength of our stud is the genetics we have in our female lines."

Bulls were bought by buyers in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Mr Cook said his cattle were bred to suit the southern beef industry and featured a range of genetic traits.

"In the top 20 per cent of the breed, we had 34 bulls for calving ease direct and then they still have really good growth," he said.

"We had only four bulls in the sale that weren't in the top 20pc of the breed for the domestic index, which combines all the EBVs together to determine profitability.

"Charolais are an extremely efficient breed, and when they are crossed with a British-bred female, they provide extra weight and yield in carcases at the time of processing."

A Diamond, via north-east Victorian agency Corcoran Parker, bought three bulls to a top price of $8000 twice for Lot 34 and Lot 41.

Both bulls were sons of Rangan Ashwood L84.

John Hadley, Staghorn Flat, bought three bulls, including Lot 28 Rangan Paladin S157 for $8000.

Paull & Scollard Nutrien Albury branch manager Tim Robinson, an agent for the stud, said it was a good result.

"To have an average dearer than last year certainly defies the odds of what the general market trend is doing," he said.

"There were several bulls that made top money, along with bulls at the base price, so there was something there for everybody and it was a really affordable sale.

"It's credit to the Cook family for their dedication and commitment to the Charolais breed."

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