British Charolais genetics are proving to be in demand down under. Palgrove Desire 101, a 13 month old heifer by Seawell Offshore sold for a new Australian female breed record of $40,000, while Palgrove Estella 224, a 13 month old heifer calf by the 25,000gns Perth champion, Goldies Unbeatable made $19,000.

Palgrove Desire 101 sold for $40,000
© Palgrove Charolais

The two heifers were among 210 female lots and embryos to feature in David and Prue Bondfield’s biennial sale of females from their Palgrove herd which comprises more than 800 purebred Charolais cows based in Queensland. The Saturday 17th March fixture achieved 100% clearance and an average of $6,650.

Palgrove Desire 101 went to join Lindsay and Belinda Hindle’s Fairfield stud, Roma, Queensland. She was no stranger to the ring having been shown as a calf at foot to the Bondfield’s Brisbane Royal Show interbreed female champion, Palgrove Desire 68. She is the highest priced Charolais female ever sold in Australia, a figure that eclipsed the country’s previous $36,000 record established back in the early 1970's.

Mature cows sold up to $32,000 while nine more Goldies Unbeatable daughters averaging 8.5 months of age, came under the hammer sold for an average $9,900. These young Unbeatable daughters were all embryo calves out of some of Palgrove’s elite donor females.

Mr Bondfield comments: “Our female sale is held every two years, and all cows 10 years and older are offered as well as selected quality lots from throughout the herd. This year, cattle sold to all states of Australia as well as New Zealand. The demand was for specific cow families that carry proven genetics developed over Palgrove’s 37 years of breeding and selection.

“The demand for Charolais in Australia, I believe has developed as a result of breeders adapting the breed to a type that fits our unique environment – sleek coats, good feet and legs with mobility and easy fleshing ability. We have moderated the muscle in our Charolais cattle in this country and worked on increasing the finishing of our bulls so that extensive crossbreeding enterprises using either Brahman in the north, or Angus based females in the southern states, can produce a beef product that fits their market’s needs.”

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