WALLAWONG Premium Beef has swept the Wingham Beef Week carcase competition, taking out both grand champion and reserve grand champion carcases for 2020.
It was a 602 kilogram (liveweight) Murray Grey/Angus cross steer scoring an impressive 95.97 points that took the top honours for annual entrants Lachlan and Kate James of Wallawong, Gunnedah, who are no strangers to success at Wingham having won a number of accolades in the past.
Targetted specifically for this competition, the overall winner was an 18-month-old son of Lindsay Fusion out of a registered black Angus female that won the heavyweight section.
With a total point score of 95.97, he received 19.5/20 for market specifications, 34.7/35 for saleable meat yield and 41.743 out of 45 for MSA eating quality.
He had a hot standard carcase weight (HSCW) of 322kg with fat measurements of 12 millimetres and 8mm at the P8 and rib sites, an eye muscle area (EMA) of 102 square centimetres and an AusMeat marble score of 4.
Reserve grand champion carcase went to a 93.996 point scoring Angus steer, also from Wallawong, that placed second in the heavyweight section.
Sired by a yearling bull the James' sold at the AG-Grow Emerald bull sale in 2018 and out of Wallawong Anthea L20, the 19-month-old steer had a liveweight of 582kg.
He had a HSCW of 317kg, and measured 15mm and 10mm at the P8 and rib fat sites, 98 sq cm EMA and an AusMeat marble score of 5.
An impressive feat for the James family who thought their chances were blown when the truck carting the steers to the abattoirs broke down on the way, resulting in the steers spending 10.5 hrs in the truck on the side of the road.
This win backs up a very successful run for the James' who had the top three carcases of the Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza in 2019, and more recently a class win in the Colin Say and Co Carcase Competition.
"We are confident about the genetics in our herd, and we are willing to back them every day of week to be in top one per cent of the industry," he said.
"This is evident by having the top three carcases in the Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza in October (2019), a class win in the recent Colin Say and Co carcase competition and now the top two in the Wingham Beef Week competition ... all of which were sired by five different bulls."
Coming in third in the heavyweight class, behind the two overall champions was another high-scoring carcase from Charli Issanchon, Pact Pastoral, on 93.333 points, making it the third highest score in the competition.
Lightweights
First place in the lightweight category went to St Paul's College, Kempsey, with a Murray Grey steer that scored a total of 86.081 points.
Second place went to another entry from Lachlan and Kate James of Wallawong in partnership with client David Schouten of Gravesend who bred the Murray Grey/Angus steer that scored 80.143 points.
Kempsey High School received third with their Speckle Park steer on 75.274.
Light middleweight
A British White from Chatham High School, Taree, bred by Dingo Lane Farms, was the winner of the light middleweight section on 92.057 points.
Wingham High School was second on 90.50 points, and Calrossy Anglican College, Tamworth, was third with their 89.762 point scoring carcase.
Heavy middleweight
Quirindi High School won the heavy middleweight section on 91.20 points, ahead of Wingham High School in second on 91.067 points. Third went to TP. and ML. Freeman with their 90.929 points scoring Speckle Park carcase.
School steer challenge
In the school steer challenge, sponsored by Bob Jamieson Agencies and The Manildra Group, it was Tamworth High School that came out on top with their Speckle Park steer that scored 90.405 points in the heavy middleweight division.
Bundarra High School claimed second with their 87.474 point scoring Speckle Park steer, ahead of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College in third with their Speckle Park steer on 83.765 points.
Full detailed report in next week's The Land newspaper.
