The Donaldson family of Medway Droughtmasters achieved one of their best sale averages to date, but the stud has decided to hang up their hats as vendors at the national sale moving forward. Originating from the ranges of Bogantungan, west of Emerald, the Donaldsons first sold at the National Sale in the mid nineties. A different time, when Medway stud principal Hastings Donaldson remembers turning up unprepared and the lessons his family has learnt since. "I just remember turning up with a truck load of under prepared Droughtmaster bulls and copping a hiding for a few years," Mr Donaldson told the Queensland Country Life. "I see new vendors all the time here doing what we did, that is how we all started and you just got to battle on and stick with it. "I remember not selling three bulls at our first sale, but we stuck with it." Two decades on, the team at Medway Droughtmasters proudly sold all 14 bulls for a top price of $40,000 for their bull Medway Empty Feeling, and achieved a stud-record average of $20,571. Mr Donaldson said it was an outstanding result for the family. "Our bulls sold very consistently and I think that reflected the draft of bulls we put forward to the buyers which is exactly what we are thriving for as a seedstock producer," he said. Looking to the future, the Donaldsons have decided to step back as vendors at the national sale, to focus more on how they market their bulls closer to home. "We're not really moving away from the National sale, we will still be here supporting the Droughtmaster breed and all the vendors involved in this outstanding sale but just not as vendors," Mr Donaldson said. "The next generation in our family has had the idea and dream of holding our own on-property sale for some time and that's the direction we are looking to in the future." The Donaldsons are also focusing on developing their new Beefmasters herd, which alongside Sugerland Beefmasters, both held the breed's first Australian sale at Capella back in 2021.
