At 988 kilograms, Devon bull Vix Millstone (H), crushed his way through the competition to win the best exhibit of the breed.
In a small but quality exhibition, totaling just 11 head, Millstone still had solid competition in the form of the grand champion female, Ashwood Cara 12 (P), but the bull caught the eye of the judge, John Manchee, Narrabri, for its rare combination of high capacity with calving ease traits.
"He was exceptional the way he holds his head above his spine and carries the carcase he's got - he's a very wide and highly sprung bull. He's wider through the thurl than he is through the hip and so it's perfect for calving," Mr Manchee said.
"It's rare to see a bull with that capacity with the thurl so low."
The 30-month-old bull had a 123 square centimetre eye muscle area with fat depths of 18 millimetres on the rump and 9mm on the rib.
Millstone's sire, Gowan Ross Zapper, had been a champion himself and sons have had semen exported, and his dam, Vix Audrey E23, had bred a number of champions, including Vix Krypton which was the heaviest bull at the 2017 Brisbane Royal Show at 1330kg.
"I can't find a lot of fault with him. He's got a lot of thickness and depth. He's just under one tonne and he carries that weight very well," Mr Manchee said of Millstone.
The grand female therefore had her work cut out, yet despite not being able to out-class the bull, Cara 12 still received high praise.
Mr Manchee said the cow, which had also been senior champion female and was shown with a heifer calf, "oozes femininity" and had a very neat udder - "the sort of female that will build a herd".
Cara 12 was sired by Ashwood Jeu D'Esprit and from Ashwood Cara 10 and was bred and exhibited by Malcom Wood and Jo Pope, Ashwood Devons, Bulahdelah.
Ashwood Devons also exhibited the reserve junior champion bull, and junior champion female.
The reserve junior bull, Ashwood Prince, was by Ashwood Knockout and from Ashwood Cheddar Pink, while the junior female, Ashwood Candytuft 6, also by Knockout, was a daughter of Ashwood Candytuft 3.
Little Manning stud, Gloucester, was also among the broadribbons, winning junior champion bull, reserve junior champion female and reserve senior female.
The stud's junior bull, Little Manning Able (H), and reserve junior female, Little Manning Wendy 3 (H), were both by Ro Ern H1.
Little Manning Miss Zena (H) took the reserve senior female gong and was home-bred on both sides of the pedigree, being by Little Manning Jingles and from Little Manning Wendy 2.
Vix Devons also took out the reserve senior bull with a polled entry, Vix Nuffield N14, by Vix Hammersley and from Vix Plum K13.
Ashwood stud was first in the sire or dam's progeny class.
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