The heart-rate monitor on Niaomi Evans' Garmin watch went through the roof last Thursday night when her and husband Roger's Shorthorn cow and calf were announced supreme exhibit winners of The Land's 2020 Beef Battle.
Their showing prospects might have been put on hold due to COVID-19 but two-and-a-half-year-old female, Nagol Park YZ Romance N148, and her seven-month-old heifer calf, Nagol Park YM Lollipop Q116, made quite the impression in the online competition.
The pair rose to the top of a 13-head Bos Taurus female class under judge Erica Halliday, Ben Nevis Angus, Walcha, before being named senior and grand champion Bos Taurus cow.
From there she was hard to beat with interbreed judge John Manchee, Manchee Agriculture, Narrabri, awarding her the interbreed female title and eventual $2500 supreme exhibit title.
"I have got a Garmin (watch) and I had been told I needed to move because I'd been sitting too long and watching it but the heart rate was high (when we were announced winners) and it cleared the move bar," Ms Evans said.
"A lot of people said you had the shot at the Urquhart and but we have probably ended up with more publicity. We have had some interesting comments from Canada.
"Even if you had of won everything at Sydney I don't know that you would have got what these online shows have managed (in exposure)."
Mr Manchee said it wouldn't matter what colour or breed Romance N148 was, she was a female the beef industry really needed.
She epitomised everything producers wanted in a breeding female and he believed it would be difficult to find a better example anywhere in the world.
"She is probably one of the best females you will see of any breed anywhere I believe," he said.
"Very sound in her movement but she carries it so easily. A female in a breeding program is there for 10 years so you want to maintain her body capacity through thick and think and this female in my eyes has that ability to do that.
"She is carrying adequate softness and coverage of fat to cycle each year."
By $20,000 Yamburgan Zeus K25 and out of Nagol Park Ellies Romance L 203, the large-frame female was admired by many for her udder and teats, which Mr Manchee labelled the best he had ever seen.
Her calf was by the $16,000 Yamburgan Sparta L483.
"I don't think you would see too much better example of a milking beef breed female," he said.
Romance N148 was no stranger to showing success.
The first calf female, who calved at exactly two years of age, had already been named supreme Shorthorn exhibit and reserve interbreed senior female of the 2019 Melbourne Royal Show and interbreed female of the 2020 Guyra and Walcha shows.
She was the eventual supreme exhibit of the Walcha show along with recently being named Champion of Champions in the Covid-19-2020 Virtual Online Show.
The Evans family labeled her one of the best they had ever bred and intend to move her into their donor pen, along with her mother, when she calves down for the second time in September to Nagol Park Lotto Powerball P102.
There has already been enquiry for eggs in the female.
The family joined 30 females this year after halving their numbers due to recent dry seasons.
"We haven't flushed in several years with the drought... it just hasn't been conducive to flushing but we will after they calve in September," Ms Evans said.
The mother daughter duo were named reserve senior Shorthorn female at the Sydney Royal Show in 2018 while Romance N148 herself claimed the supreme exhibit title at Guyra as a heifer in 2019.
Her mother was second in the 2016 Sydney interbreed heifer judging while a half brother was awarded interbreed junior bull at Melbourne in 2019.
"We were planning that Mum was going to Sydney with the two of them," Ms Evans said.
"That was our plan - to have a breeders group with mum, her first calf and second calf but this has given us good exposure.
"We have had interest in the mum as well because of what she can breed."
Romance N148's sweet nature and phenotypical correctness make her a special female for the Evans family.
"She is pretty unique," Mr Evans said.
"Phenotypically she is pretty much spot on and genetically she has got the numbers to match it. She will be a donor female for a long time to come."