Barfold Beef takes the bronze

With four teams of Angus steers in the competition, Barfold Beef took home quite a few wins including grand champion Riverine Premium Beef pen, third overall, and third in the MSA eating quality awards.

Barfold's highest scoring team of five Angus steers all qualified for the Riverine Premium beef brand and had carcase scores ranging from 82 to 87.5 out of a possible 110, which put them on top in the category.

Scoring maximum points for feedlot entry, the team averaged a weight gain of 1.98 kilograms a day.

In the carcase performance, all five steers were a marble score 2 with an average MSA Index of 64.15 and an overall carcase average of 84 points out of 110.

Breaking the results down even further, the group averaged 14.2mm of fat on the P8 and 8.6mm on the rib, an average eye muscle area of 88.4 square centimetres, and an average lean meat yield of 55.92 per cent.

The remaining three Barfold teams placed 12^th on 714.5 points, 29^th on 667 points, and 54th on 629 points respectively.

More from the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial:

Matthew and Karly Shea and their son's Jasper, Charlie, and Riley, operate the Angus herd which joins about 500 females each year for a July calving.

Within this joining, about 120 heifers are put in to a fixed time artificial insemination program each year using Te Mania semen.

The resulting calves are generally weaned in February and sold on in March.

First established in 1975, the family operation has been fine tuning the Angus herd over the past decades with an emphasis on calving ease, temperament, and marbling in sire selection.

Continuing to enter the trial after so many years, Mr Shea said he found the results justified their program.

"We like to get the feedback and find it valuable for our clients and repeat buyers to give them confidence going forward with the cattle as we don't take them through to that feedlot level," he said.

"The steers usually go to backgrounders so it is good for them to know how they will perform.

"And to know that our breeding program is standing up against what we regard as some pretty good operations that enter the coopetition."

These award wins are not uncommon for Barfold, having also won the carcase champion pen, as well as third and ninth place overall in 2021. In 2018, the family also won the reserve champion Teys Certified Premium Black Angus, champion pen, and sixth and eighth overall.

"We have collected awards in the past but certainly we haven't got the grand champion Riverine Premium award which is certainly one that we highly regard and certainly third overall is fantastic," Mr Shea said.

"Previously getting awards, getting top 10 finishers previously, we haven't had to tweak too much on farm."

Mr Shea said the changes in specifications for the cattle also helped achieve the higher result.

Lower specifications were introduced to the trial after the program went from HGP treated to HGP free as the cattle performed much differently.

"I think that helped a lot of people, including us, to hit those carcase weights," Mr Shea said.

Mr Shea said he planned to make it 10 years entering the trial and would have three or four teams again next year.

"It is also a good time of year, so it might be four teams. It is always a good night and a good feed."

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