Schools, steers display their best

Students competed in the Farm Challenge for the opportunity to win a work experience placement on a cattle station in northern Australia.

Encompassing a number of activities from day-to-day life on a livestock property, MacIntyre High School and Kempsey High School came in first and second.

MacIntyre High will now nominate one student to head to an Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) property, while a Kempsey student will work with North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO).

While more than 120 exhibitors lined up for the junior judging – won by Olivia Bolton, Congupna, Vic – handling and education parts of the weekend, held August 29 to 31 at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, it was the steer judging and auction that drew the crowd on Sunday.

Grand champion steer on the hoof was won by a Charolais exhibit named Thumper, exhibited by Leonie and Greg Ball’s Grenell Charolais, “Grenell”, Singleton.

The 491-kilogram exhibit was by a stud bull from a commercial cow and judge Jason Strong, AACo chief executive and managing director, said the early maturing steer had the important balance of meat and function.

With all exhibits weighing more than 450kg also judged over the hooks at Bindaree Beef, Inverell, Thumper went on to recieve a carcase score of 82.581, which included the full 35 points for saleable meat yield.

A Limousin-cross steer weighing 532kg liveweight was the grand champion carcase with a score of 86.048.

Exhibited by Tim Bayliss and Kerry Cooke, Armidale, the 12-month-old steer recorded 19.5 out of 20 for market specifications, the full 35 points for saleable meat yield and a Meat Standards Australia score of 31.548.

Exhibited by Bethany Bayliss, 15, and her sister Erica, 13, Mr Bayliss said the steer, which came third in its class on the hoof, was also exhibited at the Limousin Junior Show in Tamworth in July, where it was named grand champion steer.

Winner of the stud heifer class was Sprys Winchesters Pattie J182, a 12-month-old Shorthorn heifer exhibited by Darren Jarman, Forum Shorthorns, Kyogle, and owned in partnership with Artificial Breeders, Lismore.

The heifer was sashed junior and grand champion Shorthorn female at this year’s Brisbane Ekka.

Judge Geoff King, Loch, Victoria, said the heifer caught his eye with its femininity and udder development, nice pin placement, great neck extension and tucked in shoulder.

New England Girls School (NEGS) show team, Armidale, with their Limousin/Charolais exhibit, won the heifer carcase shootout.

The 404gk heifer was bred and co-exhibited by Brian and Nolene Grogan, “Steinbrook”, Bendemeer, who supplied animals to NEGS for the first time this year.

Mr Strong, also the carcase judge, said the heifer combined carcase characteristics with functional traits.

NEGS agriculture teacher Mark Fisher agreed, and paid the sale top price of 605 cents a kilogram, or $2444.20 a head, when the heifer was auctioned off.

All animals under 450kg were auctioned after the live judging, with 30 head sold to average $1201 a head, and all lots making 200c/kg or more.

Also returning to the vendor school was the top-priced steer of the auction, offered and bought by the Brisbane Water Secondary School, Brisbane, Qld, at $1674.

Volume buyer was Roderick Binny, Australian Grassfed Meats, Guyra, who purchased six lots to a top of $1020 a head, averaging $912.

Landmark AuctionsPlus co-ordinator and event organiser Tim Bayliss said the sale topped off a good show.

“We had eight or nine local butchers that operated, all the way from Casino, Lismore, Guyra and Tamworth, and a couple steers were sold to go on with in the lucrative Queensland show circuit, giving the sale plenty of diversity,” he said.

“The whole event was much improved from last year, and I think everybody was really happy with how it all panned out – looking forward a few more numbers next year.

“The concept of having the Farm Challenge on the Saturday evening was a hit with the youngsters, and we bought in the stud heifers this year because the more studs we have the more they will start to bring steers in with them.”