COONAMBLE High School has topped the Colin Say and Co Pty Ltd carcase competition with a Charolais steer that won champion heavyweight carcase and overall grand champion purebred carcase.
Bred by Tyson and Courtney Will of TCW Livestock, Delungra, the 18-month-old steer called "Slim" was fed for about 210 days (since September) in the lead up to the Sydney Royal Show that was cancelled.
He scored a total of 94 points and received a gold medal. With a B+ muscle score, he had a liveweight of about 620 kilograms according Coonamble High School's Adam McRae.
A standout from the get-go, Mr McRae said the steer impressed them from when the minute he arrived at the school.
"Travis Luscombe helped us find him. Tyson had sent him to Travis, but he was kind of out of step with what Travis was doing and he knew we were after a good Sydney steer so he sent him down to us," he said.
"He was really quiet, and fattened really well, softened up beautifully."
A key player in what could have been one of the best team's the school has exhibited at Sydney, the steer was one of nine from Coonamble.
"We were devastated we couldn't show him at Sydney, but the kids were able to put the disappointment aside and were very excited when the results were announced," he said.
On the hook the overall champion measured a hot standard carcase weight (HSCW) of 368.5kg with a P8 fat depth of 11 millimetres, rib fat of 6mm, a eye muscle area (EMA) of 107 cm sq, and virtual taste test score of 60.03 that sat him first in class 5 of the heavyweights.
Just one point behind the overall winner was The Henry Lawson High School, Grenfell, who took reserve champion heavyweight purebred carcase with their 93 point-scoring Limousin steer "Chomp" bred by the Whitty family of Mt Pleasant Limousins, Forbes.
Also receiving a gold medal, he had a HSCW of 372.5kg, P8 and rib fat depths of 9mm and 6mm, and an EMA of 119 sq cm.
He also received a gold medal.
Grand champion virtual taste test purebred carcase went to St Johns College Dubbo with their Limousin steer that had a virtual taste test score of 65.38. It placed third in class three of the middleweight section with 88 points and received a bronze medal.
St Johns College Dubbo also won champion and reserve champion middleweight carcases with two other Limousin steers.
The champion scored 91.5 points, with a HSCW of 300.4kg, a B+ muscle score, P8 and rib fat depths of 8mm and 8mm and an EMA of 95 sq cm. He also received a gold medal.
The reserve scored 89 points, with a HSCW of 292.9kg, a B muscle score, P8 and rib fat depths of 9mm and 7mm and an EMA of 92 sq cm.
Heavyweight virtual taste test champion carcase went to Frensham with their Angus steer with a HSCW of 330.5kg that had a virtual taste test score of 63.20.
Other gold medals were awarded to: St Johns College Dubbo tag 4 (Limousin), The Henry Lawson High School tag 32 (Limousin), Red Bend Catholic College "Count" (Limousin), Red Bend Catholic College "Dracula" (Limousin), and Coonamble High School tag 111 (Limousin).
Overall the Limousins came out on top with 277.5 points, followed by the Charolais in second on 260.5 points and the Simmentals in third.
Trade carcase competition
Calrossy Anglican School of Tamworth has won champion carcase of the trade section of the Colin Say and Co carcase competition with an Angus/Shorthorn cross steer that scored 87.4 points.
Bred by Gerald and Lynden Spry of Sprys Shorthorn and Angus, Wagga Wagga, the crossbred steer had a liveweight of 493kg, with a daily weight gain of 1.87kg/day.
On the hook the champion carcase had optimum specificaitons for carcase weight and fat with a HSCW of 272.4kg, and P8 and rib fat depths of 13mm and 6mm. He had a rib eye area of 75 sq cm, a yield of 67.5 per cent, a pH of 5.46 and marble score of 2.
Excelling in eating quality with full points, the champion trade carcase also was awarded champion virtual taste test trade carcase with an MSA Index of 64.41.
Coonamble High School also had success in the trade section, being awarded reserve champion trade carcase with a Limousin/Speckle Park cross steer on 86.7 points that the school bred themselves.
Weighing around 490kg live, he ended up with a HSCW of 273.9kg, P8 and rib fat depths of 11mm and 8mm, a rib eye area of 75 sq cm, marble score of 1, yield of 67.5pc, pH 5.45, and had an MSA Index of 61.64.
A total of 27 trade steers were entered in this section of the competition.