KO Angus celebrated a milestone win by taking out best Angus exhibit on Sunday during the bicentennial Sydney Royal Show and now principal Theo Onisforou plans to commemorate the event by tattooing his chest with stud letters.
Senior champion female and late show entry KO Jedda K127, by Connealy Confidence 0100, rising eight years old with a seven month-old heifer calf at foot, made a dream come true for Mr Onisforou, with judge Ivan Price astounded at her longevity.
Mr Onisforou's immigrant father herded goats in Greece before coming to Australia and instilled a sense of agriculture in his children by taking them to Sydney Royal.
"For me showing cattle is a passion," he said.
During a decade of parading female Angus on the Homebush cattle lawns KO has won reserve champion seven times - but never the big one.
On Sunday the stud at Kangaloon via Bowral not only progressed to winning the Peter Duddy perpetual trophy for best Angus exhibit but also took out reserve senior champion female with KO Dream Q153, 30 months.
Mr Onisforou's son Angus, who led the heifer calf into the ring, made a bet with his father the night before about marking the possible outcome with something permanent.
"We were both big fans of the television show Yellowstone where the ringers on the ranch were marked with the brand. I agreed to the challenge because we had never won grand champion female. Now I will have to get my tattoo."
Judge Ivan Price was faced with the onerous task of assessing 90 heifers and cows, compared with just 24 bulls during a marathon parade that began just before lunch and finished after dark, on a day that delivered blazing autumn sun onto lawns previously saturated with rain.
Junior champion female was Cowra breeder Christie Fuller's Diamond MS Reckoning R447 by Black Diamond Never Ever N436, 19 months, described by Mr Price as presenting with a "stack of performance" with a beautiful profile and length to match.
Reserve junior female was Pine Creek Miss Pandora S325, 12 months, by HF Kodiak 5R.
In the bull department junior champion was another Pine Creek sire, PC Great Northern R061, 20 months, by Northern View SMW Gustov 3Z weighing in at 882 kilograms with rump and rib fat measuring 19mm and 11mm with a 126 square centimetre eye muscle area.
Reserve junior bull was Diamond Redemption R423, 19 months, by Black Diamond Never Ever N436 described by the judge as a "complete bull".
Senior and grand champion bull offering plenty of sire appeal went to Pine Creek Royal Roll R017, 25 months, by LD Capitalist 316, who weighed in at an impressive 1080kg with rump and rib at 17mm and 11mm with a 138sqcm EMA.
Reserve senior champion bull was Tattykeel Real Deal Q3, 32 months, by Boss Lake Bonafide 722E weighing even more at 1156kg with rump and rib fat at 24mm and 14mm with a 139sqcm EMA. Judge Mr Price commented how ell this big bull moved given his size.
Breeders group award went to Pine Creek Angus at Cowra.
Details:
Judge: Ivan Price, Moongool Charoalis, Yeluba, Qld.
No. of exhibits: 90 females and 25 bulls.
Junior champion bull: Pine Creek Great Northern R061.
Reserve junior champion bull: Diamond Redemption R423.
Junior champion female: Diamond MS Reckoning R447.
Reserve junior champion female: Pine Creek Miss Pandora S325.
Senior champion bull: Pine Creek Royal Roll R017.
Reserve senior champion bull: Tattykeel Real Deal Q3.
Senior champion female: KO Jedda K127.
Reserve senior champion female: KO Dream Q153.
Grand champion bull: Pine Creek Royal Roll R017.
Grand champion female: KO Jedda K127.
Supreme exhibit: KO Jedda K127.
Breeder's group: Pine Creek Angus Stud.
Pair of bulls: SB Hayward and KL Smith.
Sire's progeny group: Northern View SMW Gustov 3Z.
Dam's progeny group: Black Diamond MS Expedition L423.
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