ST JOHNS College had a near clean sweep of the steer sections of the Royal Canberra Cattle Show during day one of competitions.
Taking out two of the three categories, including grand champion open steer and grand champion purebred steer (non-kill), the Dubbo based school was pleased to add cattle shows back to their annual calendar and education program.
A Speckle Park/Limousin cross steer was the overall champion in the open hoof and hook section. Weighing 580 kilograms he was bred by Justin and Amy Dickens of JAD Speckle Park stud, Yeoval.
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"He was out of a JAD Speckle Park cow and by Limousin bull, Sheraton Jarrod, who has sired a number of successful steers in the past," St Johns College Dubbo agriculture coordinator Ben Toll said.
Prepared for 110 days on the St Johns' "rocket fuel" ration, the export steer was the unanimous winner for judge Steve Carter, Blackjack Shorthorns, Tumut, and his associate Emily Polsen, Grace Valley Livestock, Yass.
"We totally agreed on our champion here today... It is always a challenge to pick the right steer on the hoof that will go all the way and perform as highly on the hook," Mr Carter said.
"But we look forward to following this Speckle Park (Limousin cross) steer."
Winning the strongest class of the day, export steer 501kg and over, the St Johns' steer kept catching eyes and ticking boxes.
"This is a strong class, the top five are standouts and we are confident to pull them out, but you could change up how they place, multiple ways," Mr Carter said.
"The winning steer just ticked all the boxes.
"He has a good amount of muscle combined with fat cover and we thought he had to be the class winner."
Mr Carter used the term "splitting hairs" when he came to justifying first over second in the export class, steers that would eventually be the overall champion and reserve of the open section.
"The black Limo steer has awesome carcase shape, good fat cover and is soft to touch. It just came down to splitting hairs, and the top steer probably had a touch more fat on him and fat is eating quality."
The reserve champion open steer was a 600 kilogram Limousin steer exhibited by The Riverina Anglican College, Wagga Wagga.
Bred by Hayden and Jasmin Green of Summit Livestock, Uranquinty, the steer was fed for 112 days on the locally mixed Friars grain ration and Speedi-Beet by JC Cattle Co at Wagga Wagga.
JC Cattle Co had three of the five steers in the top five of strong export class. All were Limousins bred by Summit Livestock.
"They were all fed alongside each other in the sam pen," Jacob Kerrisk of JC Cattle Co said.
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Heavy domestic, 441kg to 500kg, was won by Yass High School with a Murray Grey steer, 500kg, bred by Sue McClusky, Cluskers Murray Grey stud, Hall.
Second in heavy domestic went to a Belgian Blue/Angus cross steer, 465kg, from Braidwood Central School.
Winners of the medium domestic class was Coonamble High School with an Angus steer, 438kg, bred by Peter and Sharon Hanigan, Pasadena, Coonamble.
Coonamble also received second in the medium domestic class with a Limousin heifer bred by the school that weighed 365kg.
PUREBREDS
St Johns was again on top of the twenty purebred non-kill steers, many of which were destined for the Sydney Royal Show in April.
Champion purebred was a 399 kilogram Square Meater bred by Javid Square Meaters, Orange, and prepared by the St Johns College Dubbo.
Sired by Javid Mojo and out of Javid N23, he has been on feed since mid-November and will be 12 months at Sydney.
"He is a well muscled steer that is efficient - easy to finish," Mr Toll said.
"He is really quiet and an excellent resource to have for students starting out - he is quiet, safe and easy to manage."
This steer represents a nine-year strong relationship between Wayne Petrie of Javid stud and St Johns College.
Reserve champion purebred went to Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes, with its 649kg Limousin steer bred by Loclani stud, Forbes.
TRADE
Red Bend Catholic College rose to the top of the trade steer section, with their Charolais cross steer "Caramello".
Described as a "true trade steer, a true carcase animal that is even throughout" by judge Miss Polsen, he weighed 455kg.
Reserve champion trade steer was "Corby Black" exhibited by St Johns College Dubbo.
The 506kg black Limousin steer was bred by Craig and Tamara Corby of Goldstein Park Limousins, Cobargo.
"He is a soft steer that is very muscular but he may be too much for the trade class," Miss Polsen said.
Nine steers featured in the non-kill trade section during day one of the Royal Canberra Cattle Show, with some scheduled to go to Sydney Royal in April and others being carried out to August for the Royal Queensland Show.
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