March 9, 2017
A charity livestock sale being held in Toowoomba this weekend has a special connection to the South Burnett.
Tent Hill cattle farmer Graham Blanch will host the 7th annual Charnelle Invitation Charolais Female Sale from 11:00am on Saturday at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
Ten per cent of all sales will be going to the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
And the connection to the South Burnett?
Graham knows first-hand the importance of the helicopter rescue service, with his brother and nephew both being airlifted by RACQ LifeFlight after separate farming accidents.
In 2015, his brother Rodney injured his arm in a grain auger accident on a Kingaroy property.
And in May last year, his nephew Neil was airlifted from a farm near Nanango after a 400kg hay bale tumbled onto him, causing serious injuries.
“Poor Neil was crushed and was in a very, very bad way. Fortunately, though, his head was spared which was great,” Graham said.
Both relatives were airlifted by the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter to emergency specialist care and have since made full recoveries.
“From what I can see it’s about getting care to the patient initially which is the critical part of it,” Graham said.
“Without LifeFlight many people would be in trouble out here.”
The auction will feature heifers, bulls and genetic packages – a total of 67 females, six bulls, 59 embryos, and 477 semen straws.
LifeFlight will also benefit from the full sale proceeds of six high-quality semen and embryo packages, as well the sale of a 12-month-old show quality heifer whose sire and damsire were special bulls.
“Lot 35 is a very nice little heifer. She is exceptionally good with some very unique genetics. She’s got everything right about her,” Graham said.
“We are hoping to fetch a high amount for her so we can raise a good amount for LifeFlight.”
- Related article: Man Injured By Hay Bale
