CANADIAN genetics, NSW pastures, and partners from Australia and South Africa have combined for a new entrant at this year's Sydney Royal Show Angus Bull and Female Sale.
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T and R Genetics is a new stud based near Wellington specialising in Angus, Red Angus and Brangus cattle, and owners Rachael Wheeler and Tetaan Henning have searched far and wide for the best genetics to kick start their operation.
Hollywood Hubba Bubba H107, or Bubba for short, is a 700-kilogram, 17-month-old Angus bull which was brought to Australia from Canada as an embryo, and it is Bubba who will introduce buyers to T and R Genetics at Sydney Royal.
"He's our lead-off bull for the stud," said Ms Wheeler.
"Bubba is super-correct structurally, and has explosive muscle... we're really excited our first bull has reached the level we want."
Ms Wheeler said she had long admired the Angus genetics in Canada, following a number of trips there and the US.
"When we set up (the stud), we focused on seeking the best genetics in the world."
Ms Wheeler said one way of meeting this high standard was to make sure the genetics were good on both the male and female sides.
Bubba met this criteria, with his dam being the 2012 Canadian Show Female and winner of the Angus - Miss World prize, in a global competition for Angus cattle.
"A main focus in our breeding line is having a strong maternal line because it helps to guarantee the type of animal he's going to breed," Ms Wheeler said.
"We believe the strength of any breeding program lies in the female herd and this has been our core principle in developing T and R Genetics," Ms Wheeler said.
"We have selected embryos and females with strong maternal foundations and proven performance - our goal is to build a line of females that are thick, powerful, functional and easy fleshing, and, above all, we want females that possess the maternal depth of breeding needed to produce consistent and predictable progeny."
T and R Genetics is also sourcing unique new sires to use in its breeding programs.
Sires are selected for the phenotype, strength of maternal pedigree, performance and progeny.
"They are sires we believe will produce the results we want in our own breeding program and also offer Australian breeders an alternative to mainstream artificial insemination (AI) sires," Ms Wheeler said.
Having already seen some of Bubba's brothers back in their native Canada, Ms Wheeler was confident her first bull for T and R Genetics would turn heads at this year's sale.
Although this is the first year for T and R Genetics, Ms Wheeler is no stranger to the Sydney Royal Show having won the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW/Agricultural Societies Council of NSW State beef cattle judging final in 2009.
Ms Wheeler has been involved with breeding and showing Angus since 2005 with Hollywood Angus stud, Peak Hill, which has won multiple supreme and grand champion awards at shows across Australia.
Mr Henning moved to Australia in 2011 after the Tetaan Brangus stud at Vryheid, South Africa, gained plenty of attention from the Australian Brangus Association in 2008.
Along with genetics from Canada, T and R Genetics founded a breeding and marketing program based on leading red and black Angus and Brangus genetics from Australia, US and Argentina.
The Sydney Royal Angus sale will take place on Saturday, April 12, at the Amphitheatre.
Roderick Makim
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
