Heitiki Indigo, a 25-month-old, 905kilo, Droughtmaster bull is such an animal.

“He was six years in the making to make that sale,” Heitiki Droughtmaster Stud owner Tim Lloyd said.

“I’ve used some of my best cows, and used some genetics that people would be chasing, put it together and we got the result.”

Indigo sold for $38,000 at the annual Drought-master National over September 15 and 16 at Rockhampton, a tailor-made market where the Droughtmaster reigns supreme. 

Mac and Gaye Shann of Lamont Droughtmasters bought Indigo, giving the sale a little more attention.

The favourite couple was featured on a June program of ABC’s Australian Story. 

Gaye lost one arm and the other was crushed in a 2002 farming accident. 

Despite her disability, the couple maintains a sprawling station in north Queensland, and added Indigo to their stable of working bulls.

The headline sale flew on the wings of Heitiki Droughtmasters’ first big win at Rockhampton Beef Week.

After many reserve champions, the over 40-year-old stud took Champion Droughtmaster female with a chunky bull calf at foot.

“And that was just sensational, Tim said.

“What I’m excited about is we put our bull over her, and the calf beside her is the thumping big bull calf, and the calf helped get her over the line.”

Tim said they target soundness, hardiness, fertility, thick muscle, meaty, and quality sheaths and testicles for their bulls.

“The best message that can come back to me is, ‘Gee, that bull grew on’,” Tim said

“Which meant he was able to graze, and get cows in calf.”

Tim said the stud meets the market criteria for early maturing, thick muscling, soft finishing, thrifty animals.

“Our challenge is to get the market to recognize what we’re doing,” he said.

“That’s why taking a bull to Rockhampton is so important, to get recognition and get buyers to come and look at what you do.”