News & Results
Cloncurry Mining & Agricultural Expo
5th October, 2007
ROMAGNOLA BULLS SELL AT CLONCURRY
Long time Romagnola buyers John (pictured) and Cherie Walker, "Rutchilllo Station" McKinley purchased Hamilton Park Archie at the Cloncurry Northern Mining and Agricultural Expo from Matt and Anna Ahern, Romagnola Beef Genetics, Roma.
A strong display of quality young bulls from Matt and Anna Ahern, Romagnola Beef Genetics, Roma saw the couple take 7 bulls to Cloncurry and sell 10. A mix of new and repeat buyers snapped up the quality Romagnola bulls on offer at the Expo while orders for next year's sale draft are already being taken.
Anna Ahern said the Expo, provided the perfect opportunity for them to market their cattle to the northern industry. "We were able to present our bulls the way we wanted and had plenty of time to speak with people interested in the Romagnola breed and to catch up with clients who have purchased our bulls in the past", she said.
With all bulls offered for sale privately, noted sales included the purchase of Remus Albert for $8000 by Betty Witherspoon, "Maroola" Richmond who will use Albert as a sire in her Double M Romagnola stud. Albert is a son of leading Romagnola Beef Genetics sire, Italia Vasco out of Remus Vogue. Vasco is well known for extraordinary carcass scan of 146cm EMA and 19/11 mm of fat at 31 months of age. Vogue's first calf "Remus Zorro" was Grand Champion Romagnola Bull at Beef 2006 and stood in the top six of the interbreed bull competition. Albert was selected by Ms Witherspoon for his impeccable temperament, fat cover and the valuable new outcross genetics that he will inject into her herd.
John & Cherie Walker, Kamarooka Partnership, "Rutchillo Station" McKinley took home the impressive, Hamilton Park Archie (pictured) for $8000. Archie is the result of years of upgrading a pure stud Brahman base herd using Romagnola bulls and is by Remus Viper out of a Padrone bred cow. Matt Ahern commented that, "Archie is the type of easy doing bull we are trying to produce for this northern country, he's long and thick with plenty of bone and natural fleshing but he still has some loose skin and a nice clean coat. Archie's lovely quiet nature has made him a bit of a favourite, so we're very pleased he's gone to such a good home". The Walker's also purchased A81P by new imported sire Italia Xerox for $4000.
Volume buyers of the Romagnola Beef Genetics bulls were the Moore family, "Strathfield" McKinley who took home five, including senior champion Romagnola bull at the Brisbane Ekka, Italia Atticus and Junior Champion Romagnola bull at the Theodore Romagnola Feature Show, Hamilton Park Attila. Atticus is by Romagnola super sire, Italia Padrone and Attila is also by Italia Xerox.
The Chaplain family, "Wynberg Station" Cloncurry selected a Brahmagnola bull, A103C by Remus Winchester for $4000.
While confident, the breed has a place in the north, the Ahern's where overwhelmed with the interest in their Romagnola cattle and the Expo and have already begun taking orders for next year and look forward to their next trip to Cloncurry.
"We have always believed the Romagnola breed to be the ultimate cross with the Bos Indicus females in the north of Australia and we now look forward to the calves that these bulls produce so we can use that feedback to fine tune things even further, according to Anna Ahern.
"Over the years we have focused heavily on producing large lines of quiet bulls with an ability to finish that have the coat type and constitution to handle this northern environment. Next year we will be marketing 60 Romagnola and Brahmagnola bulls and we encourage buyers to talk to us early so that we can select, prepare and deliver bulls according to their requirements", she said.
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