Thousand Guineas Shorthorn Beef producers Cortina Pastoral were once again volume buyers at the Dubbo National, selecting sires with performance, size and easy doing ability.
Based at Lucindale in South Australia, Richard and Jane Gould of Cortina Pastoral annually make the 1100 kilometre trip to the Shorthorn show and sale.
They run a commercial Shorthorn breeding program of about 500 cows, along with a 4000-head self-replacing Merino flock and 1000 crossbred ewes.
Mr Gould said they have been involved in producing Shorthorns since the 1890s, and continue stick with the breed despite being surrounded by Angus operations.
"My grandfather and father have always had them [Shorthorns], and they have been good (cattle) to us," they said.
"They fit every market, and we haven't seen a need to change."
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For around 20 years the Cortina Pastoral steers have been sent to JBS Australia feedlots, with Mr Gould saying it is a company that they have a good relationship with.
When the Thousand Guineas Shorthorn Beef program began, they jumped straight into it and have not looked back.
"We try get the steers to 470-490 kilograms - as close to the 500kg mark as possible before sending them in," Mr Gould said.
Cortina Pastoral purchased four bulls at the 2022 national sale at a $21,500 average, including two bulls from Caskieban stud, Carisbrook, Vic, for $11,000 apiece and two from Polldale stud, Dubbo at $34,000 and $30,000.
Included in their draft was the reserve senior champion bull, Caskieben Quantum R40, along with Caskieben Quantum R14.
Additionally, their $34,000 selection was Polldale Rabbit R58, the second-top priced bull of the sale, which was a 966 kilogram son of Royalla Ultimate N176. He was a class winner during the show.
Long-term clients of the Williams family of Polldale stud, the Goulds said they keep coming back as the bulls continually perform well. Last year at the national sale they purchased four Polldale bulls for a $23,500 average.
They had also recently purchased from Caskieben at the Naracoorte Shorthorn Bull Sale, SA, in March.
"We look for size - we want a big frame - and easy doing bulls," Mr Gould said.
"A lot of Shorthorns seem to be going down the smaller, more moderate track but we want more size, weight for age, carcase and thick good doing cattle."
Recently, the Goulds sold surplus commercial heifers to their needs back to Polldale to help with the Williams family's restock following the drought.
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