Victorian bull Waterford Neon Lights N35E had a big chance of showing off to a world stage when he set off for the World Charolais Congress scheduled for Brisbane later this year.
Unfortunately it was cancelled due to COVID-19, but the Charolais sire still caught global attention through his appearance in The Land's 2020 Beef Battle.
He was voted the viewer's choice winner, which attracted votes from 12 different countries.
The 30-month-old 1200 kilogram bull by proven breeder Palgrove Hermes and out of Waterford Electra was exhibited by Deborah and Sapphire Halliday of Macedon and was named supreme Charolais exhibit and senior interbreed bull of the 2019 Melbourne Royal Show in what was a back-to-back win for the Hallidays.
He was set for Sydney and Brisbane royals this year but is now for sale privately.
"I had a lot of interest from Canada, Ireland and a lot of people have been asking from other countries about trying to get semen," Sapphire Halliday said.
"Some lovely people in South Africa really loved him. It was really nice to have it (Beef Battle) go around the world.
"I was really looking forward to Sydney and Brisbane but it was really nice people got to appreciate him even though he is not at Brisbane (for the Congress)."
During his Beef Battle appearance judge Erica Halliday declared the bull the best profiling in the entire competition and she wasn't wrong.
Only 29 votes separated Neon Lights from the second most popular animal in the viewer's choice competition, Country Style Powerade, from Adam Sciberras of NSW.
In at third was the Shorthorn female and supreme exhibit, Nagol Park YZ Romance N148, from Roger and Niaomi Evans, NSW.
Fourth in the viewer's choice was KBV Pendold from Martin Rowlands and Stephen Lean, Qld, fifth was Royalla Ventura P158 from Sue Neilson and Nic Job, NSW, while sixth was the interbreed bull winner, Nicneil Sugar Daddy, from Neil and Nicole Gibbs, Qld.
Other results saw Doodle Cooma Prime Time from Doodle Coompa Pastoral Company, NSW, in seventh, followed by KO Dream K66 of KO Angus, NSW, Battalion Heartbreaker P6 of Grant and Kylie Kneipp, NSW, and Three Way Light Moments from Neil and Glen Gorrell, NSW, rounding out the top 10.
The Hallidays run about 100 Charolais breeders with Neon Lights holding a special place in their herd.
Ms Halliday's father passed away 13 years ago but Neon Lights includes breeding from both her parents and herself with five generations of their own breeding on the dam's side.
"It was really nice to know that it's all of our genetics," she said.
"He is pretty special for that reason. He is not just a show bull; he is really functional and longevity with the females that have all stayed in the herd."
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
