JUST two days after her first birthday Goondoola Gold caught the eye of the judges as she led out the first class line-up of the 2019 Red Angus National Show at Dubbo last Tuesday.
This was the beginning of a near-cleansweep of championship ribbons for the Powe family's Goondoola stud, Cargo, which took out both female and bull grand champions and also the senior bull award.
Goondoola Gold P09 was the favourite among the female exhibits for both judge, Robert Hutchinson, Rutherglen, Victoria, and associate, Chelsea Rayner, Kidman Down studs, Sheffield, Tasmania, who awarded her the grand championship.
Mr Hutchinson commented after the first class that it was definitely a top class to start off the breed's judging.
"We really like this heifer, she's structurally sound and a most complete heifer," Mr Hutchinson said.
Gold is by Red Six Mile Custom Made 505C and from a top donor cow, Goondoola Gold G04, and was placed third in her class at Sydney Royal Show, and is maternal sister to the Sydney senior champion.
Ten exhibitors from NSW and Victoria paraded five females and 24 bulls in the show section.
When it came to the grand champion bull award, both judges agreed the junior champion, Goondoola Nebraska, was the package.
Mr Hutchinson said Nebraska was an easy moving bull with real sire potential.
"If we pulled the skin off him he would have a lot of sound carcase attributes. He has very good eye muscle readings and his weight-for-age is excellent," he said.
At 20 months, Nebraska, a heifer's first calf weighed 848 kilograms, had a 133 square centimetres eye muscle area (EMA) 15 millimetres of fat on rump and 9mm on rib and carried a 40cm scrotal circumference (SC).
He was sired by Goondoola Lonestar L18, the 2017 Dubbo National senior champion which sold at $17,000 second top price and from Goondoola Gold L16 by Annandale Hustler.
Senior champion bull, Goondoola Never Forget N18, by Red DMM Glesbar Barndance, and from BST Tullatoola Robin's Doll, weighed 912kg at 22 months and had a 131sqcm EMA, 42cm SC with 13mm rump and 9mm rib fat coverage.
The Tullatoola dam has bred at least 10 Royal Show champions across Australia including the 2016 and 2018 Sydney supreme exhibits.
Lining up close in class and championship competition was Round-Em-Up stud of David and Ashleigh Hobbs, Molong, who exhibited senior champion female, Round-Em-Up Utopia, a 21-month-old sired by Red Six Mile Signature.
The judges said they admired Utopia's sheer volume, depth, strength of spine and a lot of capacity with a beautiful long neck.
Reserve junior champion female was Round-Em-Up Pucker Up, by Campaspe Flat Reds Equator and from Round-Em-Up Kiss and Tell, which stood second to the Goondoola junior champion in the under 14 month class.
In bull judging, the Hobbs family missed the tri-colours, but took out reserve broad ribbons in both junior and senior sections.
Standing second to the junior champion in the under 20 months class, Round-Em-Up Nugget was awarded reserve ribbon.
Miss Rayner said Nugget was very similar in structure to the junior champion, but didn't quite have the "punch" of the champion.
A son of Round-Em-Up Falcon, Nugget weighed 752kg at 20 months and had a 113sqcm EMA, 36.5cm SC, and fat scores of 17mm and 9mm.
Winning the under 26 months class, Round-Em-Up Non Stopable went on to be awarded reserve senior champion bull.
He weighed 1058kg just days from 26 months with a 138sqcm EMA, .5cm SC and fat of 25 mm and 13mm.
Mr Hutchinson said Non Stopable had a lot to offer the industry.
"He's a more moderate bull with good structural soundness and would breed well for his next owner."
Commenting after judging, Mr Hutchinson said he was really happy with the Red Angus juniors.
"I thought they exhibited tremendous carcase merit and breeders had worked to get a lot more muscle and carcase attributes into them," he said.
"Overall, the structural soundness of the junior cattle was pretty Good."
Miss Rayner said the breed was represented well, considering the trying conditions.
"We had a good line-up of juniors and I was happy with the seniors. It was probably a little more competitive in the juniors, but overall, the line-up between females and the males were both quite good," she said.
