Fifty years of Shorthorns

And this passion for breeding Shorthorn cattle hasn't wavered during his 50 years in the business.

Ed and Helen Spry recognised son Gerald's enthusiasm for beef cattle when he was only a boy and transferred two heifers to his ownership under the new stud prefix.

Ed and Helen Spry continued with their own Shorthorn stud Dar- weena at Whitton, then Holbrook, until it was dispersed in 1984.

It was then Gerald and his wife Lynden really fired up the Spry's Shorthorns stud operation, purchasing Darweena genetics from the dispersal and moving to their own property "Ardlui", Wagga Wagga.

In 1986, Gerald and Lynden made a bold buy that changed Shorthorn the breed forever.

They imported $US20,000 outcross sire DCC Prophet from the US, paying an additional $AU20,000 in quarantine.

Mr Spry gave the instructions to then NSW Department of Agri- culture cattle officers Graeme Mitchell and Bob Gahan, in association with Dr Richard Hunsley, the executive secretary of the Ameri-can Shorthorn association, to "seek a bull that would improve the Shorthorn breed in Australia".

At the time it was hailed as likely to "reawaken beef producers' interest in the breed" as the American blood offered "more power and enormous potential".

"It was a big gamble to import Prophet because he looked very different to other Shorthorn cattle at the time," Mr Spry said.

While Prophet made an impact in that era, Mr Spry said it was US sire JR Legend from JR Ranch, Washington, that made his presence felt in the last decade.

The Sprys bought the Australian semen marketing rights for JR Legend and went on to breed their topped priced bull from the sire.

Legend's son Spry's True Blue Y033 sold at $55,000 to Phillip Callus and family, Jove Short-horns, Wangaratta, Victoria.

The following year Ashleigh Park Feedlot at Culcairn paid $25,000 for the commercial semen and international marketing rights for Spry's True Blue Y033 from the Callus'.

"JR Legend was probably the best imported bull we have used," Mr Spry said.

"Prophet was a stepping stone and was the right bull at the time, but JR Legend just put the whole package together.

"We still have semen from Prophet on ice, but I don't believe he is the right bull for now."

During their years of breeding, the Spry's have sold bulls and genetics to every Australian state, as well as to New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada, and the US.

Currently, semen from Spry's Patent's Ace G38 is highly sought after, with 950 semen straws sold to the UK, while semen from Ace has also been sold to New Zealand.

Ace was bought by Grove and Woolcott Shorthorn studs at Condamine, Queensland, in 2012 at $46,000, with Spry's retaining half the semen marketing rights.

"Ace is the best bull we have ever bred due to his carcase estimated breeding values (EBVs), the fact that he has balanced EBVs and he was out of one of the very best cows in the breed," Mr Spry said.

Ace was bred from a cow, Neearra Judith 104, which Spry's had bought from Ray Morgan's stud in Three Springs, Western Australia, at $3000.

Judith was purchased seven years ago with her second calf-at-foot and has since been heavily used in embryo transfer, with 20 ET calves on the ground.

Mr Spry said Judith's combination of genetics, EBV's and phenotype made her a standout.

For three consecutive years, bull calves from Judith topped Spry's autumn sale - in 2011 at $25,000, in 2012 at $46,000, and 2013 at $20,000.

"The Shorthorn cattle we breed now have a lot more carcase shape in a moderate frame coupled with heavier weight particularly from 400 to 600 days."

In 2010, Spry's bought Australia's first Poll Shorthorn stud Lone Pine, which included 120 stud cows from Vie Hawkins and family, Culcairn, in an effort to continue the stud prefix.

Recently Spry's has bred composite bulls - Angus females crossed with Shorthorn bulls.

The Sprys just began progeny testing their composite sire lines.

This will be the second time they will offer composite bulls at their autumn sale this month.

At the Melbourne Royal last year Spry's Patent's Fancy Pants, a cow with CAF, was sashed All Breeds Champion Beef Animal. She was exhibited by the Spencer Family Shorthorn stud, Yuroke, Victoria.

A full brother to Fancy Pants, Spry's Double Barrel will be offered at the Spry's Shorthorn sale this month as lot three.

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