The Grove Shorthorns break Shorthorn and Durham Black records

By Peter Lowe

Stuart and John Brownlie, Deepwater Farming, Meandarra who paid the $65,000 record Shorthorn money for The Grove RO673 with GDL auctioneer Geoff Maslen and Spencer Morgan, The Grove Shorthorns, Condamine.

CONSISTENTLY winning the RNA Paddock to Palate competition was one of the key drivers behind the Morgan family's record breaking The Grove Shorthorns bull sale at Condamine on Thursday.

Their 39th annual on-property fixture at Myall Grove saw records tumble across the board with new benchmarks set for a Shorthorn bull at $65,000, a $46,000 record priced Durham Black bull and an overall sale average of $18,847 - up $5547 on last year.

A total of 115 bulls were offered and sold representing a total clearance of the catalogue.

Co-principal Spencer Morgan said the family aimed to run a commercially relevant operation and tried to position their clients towards the higher end of the MSA grading system.

"We encourage our clients to hit the higher compliance rates and therefore more profitability," Mr Morgan said.

"We had a fantastic sale and really appreciate the support of our long term clients and first time buyers."

Long-standing clients John, Carol, Stuart and Annabelle Brownlie, Deepwater Farming, Meandarra paid the $65,000 record money for The Grove RO673, a 990kg son of The Grove LO764.

A new mode of transport for Terry Ryan, Nutrien, Chinchilla, John McLoughlin, Rainbow, Rolleston and his manager Gavin Hoad and Don Kelly, Nutrien, Injune. Mr McLoughlin paid the record Durham Black money of $46,000 for The Grove RO737.

John Brownlie said he was selecting high marbling bulls with softness and carcase qualities to go into his elite herd of Shorthorn breeders to breed bulls for in herd use.

The Brownlie family also paid the next best money at $50,000 for The Grove JFK, a performance packed son of The Grove Kennedy NOO18 and bought a total of five top end Shorthorn bulls from the auction section for a $44,300 average.

First-time buyers John and Kate McLoughlin, Rainbow, Rolleston made their presence felt after securing the $46,000 record priced Durham Black bull in The Grove RO737.

The McLoughlins also bought another pair of Shorthorn bulls at $28,000 for The Grove Trump RO180 (P) and The Grove Southern X RO792 at $20,000 and were looking to improve the overall softness and carcase qualities of their Santa Gertrudis breeders.

High profile New South Wales studmasters Sandy Munro and his daughter Jen Jeffreys, Weebollabolla Shorthorns, Moree paid $40,000 for The Grove Trump RO186, which is headed into their substantial sire battery.

Agents: GDL and Nutrien Livestock with the sale interfaced through AuctionsPlus.