The Charolais breed continued on it’s successful run in the RAS Beef Challenge filling a number of top placings across both the domestic and export categories.
Michael and Jenny Millner and their son James, Rosedale Charolais, Blayney, claimed the champion export team and reserve champion export individual.
Breaking it down, in the export team results they placed first in the carcase judging and second in the profitability class.
In the individual export results they came second in the live assessment, third in the feedlot total and, third in the carcase judging and second in profitability.
James, entering under Rosedale Livestock, placed second in the taste test domestic results (individual) as well as placing forth in the live assessment and third overall in the domestic teams results.
The Millner family, who have supported the competition since its inception, they have won both the champion domestic team in 2015 and 2012 and champion export team in 2013.
One of the oldest Charolais studs in the country, Michael Millner said they entered the competition to scope how their enterprise stacked up against other beef operations.
“We sell a lot of yearling cattle over the hooks, so it’s important to know what sort of product we are producing,” Mr Millner said.
“The competition is a proving ground to make sure we are heading in the right direction.”
The Millners run 400 stud cows and 800 commercial cows between their three properties at Blayney, Millthorpe and Geurie.
The champion export team exhibited by Jenny and Michael were 16-month-old Charolais cross Angus steers with an average entry weight of 420 kilograms.
James’s third placing in the export teams category was with a pen of 12-month-old pure Charolais heifers with an average entry weight of 320kg.
Mr Millner said the results have the ability to prove that European cattle can perform well.
“We try to select our cattle with positive fat cover and marbling within the breed and I think that is reflected in our carcases we produce,” he said.
Our winning pen marbled all 2’s and 3’s.”
Mr Millner said they run their stud similar to a commercial herd.
“Every cow has to give us an income every year and if she doesn't produce a calf she will be removed from the herd,” he said.
James Millner said the competition is a level playing field with everyone competing in the same conditions.
“It comes down to genetics at the end of the day,” he said.
“It’s commercial reality which is appealing to us as stud and commercial breeders.”
He said all the carcase and performance feedback is used to help with their breeding decisions.
“I think it is important to follow your animals all the way through to the boning room to get real value as a stud stock breeder,” he said.
