![Shad Bailey, Colin Say & Co, Adam Macrae and Nicole Fester, Coonamble High, Craig Price, Nathan Purvis, CSC, and Oscar Macrae. Picture by Simon Chamberlain Shad Bailey, Colin Say & Co, Adam Macrae and Nicole Fester, Coonamble High, Craig Price, Nathan Purvis, CSC, and Oscar Macrae. Picture by Simon Chamberlain](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/176405925/4702716a-31ef-4362-9d60-7657471a9053.JPG/r0_0_4032_3024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Limousin steer bred and prepared by Coonamble High School has swept the field to be sashed the grand champion exhibit at the Colin Say and Company's Beef Extravaganza at Glen Innes.
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Tears of joy were shared by Coonamble High's Nicole Fester, Adam Macrae and his son Oscar when the judge, Craig Price, the national livestock manager for Kilcoy Global Foods, patted the rump of the 600-kilogram steer to indicate it was the winner over a fantastic lineup of steers and heifers through all weight ranges.
Adding more pathos to the win was the news that this would "probably" be the last time Coonamble High School would make the trip to the extravaganza as numbers and interest in the agricultural program were declining, Mr Macrae said.
Mr Price complimented the exhibitors on the quality of the cattle on show, highlighting muscle patterns, fat coverage and yield of red meat.
"The heavyweight steer - get behind him, beside him and in front of him - you can see he's square across the back, and he's got that perfect amount of fat cover," Mr Price said.
"He's a steer that's got plenty of hindquarter, muscle and yield, and that's why I am going to give him the championship."
The steer was the champion in the heavyweight classes. Mr Price said "he had to look pretty deep" to separate it from the reserve exhibit, a Limousin shown by Luke and Emily Kahler, Glamorgan Vale, Queensland.
"At the end of the day, this is a carcase competition, and we're looking at cattle that are going to hit the specifications for eye muscle area, rib and P8 fat, and that's why I chose it," he said of the champion heavyweight.
The middleweight champion resulted from a 532kg Limousin crossed with Limousin/Hereford, shown by Coonamble High, bought at the Collin Say and Co potential sale last February. The reserve was a 485kg Limousin, shown by cattle fitter and Dalby State High School's livestock manager, Travis Luscombe, Qld.
The lightweight champion steer was a 446kg Limousin/Murray Grey cross shown by hometown favourite Owen Walmsley, Red Range, via Glen Innes.
The reserve was a 403kg Limousin, shown by Anthony O'Dwyer, Dalby, Qld. Mr O'Dwyer had judged the Extravaganza Shootout the previous evening.
The champion in the butcher class was a 364kg Limousin/Angus steer shown by Mr Luscombe, who also exhibited the reserve champion, another Limousin/Angus weighing 366kg.
The champion heifer was a 520kg Limousin heifer shown by the Stenzel family's Minto Crag Pastoral, Warill View, Qld, with the reserve heifer, a 540kg Limousin/Limousin cross, exhibited by Coonamble High School.
The champion was a 510kg Limousin cross heifer shown by Dalby State High, Qld, the 471kg to 540kg class winner. Second place in that class went to a Speckle Park/Charolais cross steer, shown by Owen Walmsley.
A 429kg Limousin/Charolais heifer won the 401kg to 470kg unled class, shown by Glenmorangie Pastoral Company, Glen Innes, with second place to a 434kg Murray Grey cross heifer, also shown by Glenmorangie PC.
In the 330kg to 400kg unled class, the winner was a 383kg Limousin cross heifer shown by GM and EJ Muller, Tannymorel, Qld, while a Limousin/Hereford cross steer shown by HDCA kids, Glen Innes, took second spot.
The results of the hook section of Beef Extravaganza will be livestreamed on Stocklive from 7pm, Monday, September 18.