They may have only owned her for a few months but Hereford cow Wirruna Golden Vanity M261 already proved her worth for JTR Cattle Co at Roslyn and Tobruk Poll Herefords at Rowan during the Sydney Royal on Saturday.
The rising five-year-old cow and her six-month-old heifer calf were named grand champion female and supreme exhibit under Victorian judge Erin Waters who couldn't overlook her overall capacity despite believing the grand champion bull, Mulloon Radar, was a real stud sire in the making.
"She has got longevity in her which is what we require in the beef industry," she told the crowd.
"She has got moderate frame, she has got a beautiful udder and she stands on good feet and legs and she is doing a great job on that calf.
"Once you get behind that cow you can see why she is where she is."
The female had previously been flushed by her Canadian owners but they were looking to move her on.
The Reid family of JTR Cattle Co and Damien Halloway from Tobruk stud were so keen on the opportunity they purchased the female sight unseen after browsing photos.
"We took the opportunity and bought her on the spot," Tim Reid said.
The powerhouse female was shown at Blayney last year before COVID-19 hit and returned this year to win the Hereford section. She will now head north to Beef Australia in Rockhampton.
"Jemma and I have been showing here for six years as JTR and we have won a few broad ribbons and reserves and junior champions but we haven't ever won overall so it's pretty exciting to do that, especially with a cow that you have purchased to be your next female line," Mr Reid said.
"We will flush her pretty heavily with Damo and we have flushed her once already. We have picked a few bulls to head through and really bring this new cow line into our herd.
"With her data and her phenotype you can't go wrong. She is way up there with data and breeding calves like that means we are sort of a step ahead of where we need to be."
Judge Erin Waters told the crowd of onlookers she would have divided the grand champion female between the cow and calf and the junior champion female, Kianma Nancy, exhibited by Kierin and Nikki Martin, Kianma, Forbes.
It was only that Ms Waters could see what the cow was producing that swayed her decision.
The results were just as sweet for Janet Cantwell from Mulloon Pastoral Company at Mulloon who had her best Sydney result in her three years competing.
Ms Cantwell had previously only received highly commended or third place ribbons but her 12-month-old bull, Mulloon Radar, not only surprised her by winning his class, he couldn't be defeated for the grand championship.
"We just took a different focus breeding wise, added some new genetics and went into AI (artificial insemination)," she said.
The up-and-coming sire was an AI son of Wirruna Lake L55 and out of Sevenbardot Magic L121 who was purchased from a dispersal sale.
Radar was her third calf and had previously placed first at Canberra and junior champion at Goulburn show. He weighed 618 kilograms with a 1.68kg weight gain and 17 and 11mm fat depths. His eye muscle area was 95 square centimetres.
Running about 12 stud females, Radar was only the second bull Mulloon had ever bred.
"I was in shock," she said.
"I was not expecting it at all. I wasn't expecting him to get first in his class so to go and get that was...speechless."
She was contemplating selling him to a commercial breeder but after his win Ms Cantwell will reassess.
Results
Breed: Hereford
Judge: Erin Waters, Andtavern Herefords, Victoria
No. of exhibits: 42 head
Junior champion bull: Mulloon Radar exhibited by Mulloon Pastoral Co
Reserve junior champion bull: Llandillo Thunder exhibited by Llandillo Poll Herefords
Junior champion female: Kianma Nancy exhibited by KA and NJ Martin
Reserve junior champion female: Mulloon Royal Rose exhibited by Mulloon Pastoral Co
Senior champion bull: Te-Angie Quattro Q002 exhibited by Richard Ogilvie
Reserve senior champion bull: Tondara Mason P037 exhibited by Jordan Alexander and Tondara Hereford stud
Senior champion female: Wirruna Golden Vanity M261 exhibited by JTR Cattle Co and Tobruk Poll Herefords
Reserve senior champion female: Llandillo Vanessa P130 exhibited by Bruce Pennells
Grand champion bull: Mulloon Radar exhibited by Mulloon Pastoral Co
Grand champion female: Wirruna Golden Vanity M261 exhibited by JTR Cattle Co and Tobruk Poll Herefords
Supreme exhibit: Wirruna Golden Vanity M261 exhibited by JTR Cattle Co and Tobruk Poll Herefords
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.
