IT took a Hero of a bull to win over the Charolais judge and trump a Gorgeous cow at the Sydney Royal this year.
Caloona Park Hero had the biggest eye muscle area scan in the Charolais shed at 142 square centimetres, weighing 884 kilograms at 17 months old.
Exhibitor Louie Franco, Caloona Park Studs, Tamworth, has been showing at Sydney for 20 years, but has never won the best Charolais exhibit before.
“He’s always been a stand out calf,”Mr Franco said.
Judge Ivan Price, Clermont, said early in the judging there were two things the Charolais breed should never change - carcase attributes and weight for age.
Hero had both of those things, as well as good fat cover and a lovely loose hide, Mr Price said.
The bull first won his eleven-head strong class, before being declared junior and grand champion bull and eventually winning best Charolais exhibit.
Hero was sashed grand over senior champion bull, won by the Mc Lachlan Group’s Airlie stud, Glenquarry, with Airlie Horus, a 23 month old polled bull by Kalinka Easy Going.
The Mc Lachlan Group also exhibited the reserve junior bull, Airlie Hirohito, while the Salier family, Minnie-Vale Charolais, Narrabri, had reserve senior bull in Minnie-Vale Harrison.
Both of the Airlie bulls awarded broadribbons were joined by the studs reserve champion senior female, Airlie Friesia and her calf at foot, to win the breeding group class.
And when it came to the female judging, much like many of the world’s famous women, the grand champion Charolais cow was both gorgeous, and well-travelled.
Venturon Gorgeous, exhibited by Chris Knox and Helen Alexander, DSK Charolais, Coonabarabran, had an equally gorgeous eight-month old heifer calf at foot.
The cow was bred in Western Australia before being purchased as a heifer by Mr Knox at the 2012 Rockhampton Beef, Queensland, from the Charolais Society Special Sister sale, and now resided in NSW.
“I liked her as a heifer, and I thought she would grow into a good cow,” he said.
“She also has different breeding from most of my herd.”
Gorgeous has since been sashed senior champion heifer at the Charolais Youth Stampede at Bathurst in 2013, and this Sydney Royal has been her only showing since.
The heifer calf at foot was by Baroola D989E, a LT Wyoming Wind son used at DSK over heifers, and Gorgeous was due to calve again in August to SVY Pilgrim, before being put into the studs embryo transfer program.
Gorgeous was the only Charolais exhibit shown by DSK, but they also took home the champion middle weight steer sash with a purebred Charolais.
Judge Ivan Price said the cow had overall femininity, softness, and plenty of volume and side.
The senior cow was put up over the junior champion female Rosedale Amy H288, exhibited by J.M., M.J. & J.L. Millner, Rosedale Charolais, Blayney.
Mr Price said the 15-month-old heifer paraded well, was alert and had a soft ear.
By Paringa Novatel and out of a Rosedale Ruby Cow, Amy was a 15 month old polled female.
Having been shown at Inverell already, exhibitor James Millner said the heifer was a stand out for her age and he wished he had a paddock full of them.
Ian and Donna Robson’s Whitestone Charolais, Adelong, exhibited the reserve junior champion heifer with Whitestone RS Estella J4E.
Keep updated with rolling results from the Royal here.
