A Braford senior bull with presence and phenotype caught the eye of Casino Beef Week stud cattle judge Scott Hann, Truro at Bellatta, NSW, to be crowned supreme exhibit on Saturday.
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Paraded around the Mafeking Lamp in the centre of town, the selection of quality cattle impressed the Hereford breeder who described the beef Week draft as "indicative of the high quality of cattle on the Northern Rivers".
Supreme exhibit Little Valley Obie, 30 months, by Little Valley Larry from Little Valley Chelsea-Ann, bred and prepared by the Bennett family, Little Valley Grazing at Stratheden, was crowned supreme champion at seven local shows last year, but Beef Week at Casino was his first major win.
The generational Braford breeding family went on to claim champion senior female with Little Valley Natasha, on her second calf, rising four years old by Little Valley Jackpot from Little Valley C-3108, the mother of the recent Beef 2024 Braford calf champion.
They also won sire's group and class of three for a "very uniform type".
Reserve supreme, and junior champion bull went to Inverell Hereford stud Kylandee with their structurally correct Kylandee Ukar U001, ten and a half months old and weighing 542kg, by Mawarra Hostage P095 from Kylandee Dowager R015, who toured with her son as undefeated Hereford champion female at three New England shows.
Judge Mr Hann praised the young sire as able to bring "an extra dimension to the breed".
"He is soft, able to lay down fat," he said. "He is the most complete."
Kylandee placed reserve in senior bull with the powerful Kylandee Turbo T037, 1005kg at 21 months, by Mawarra Fair Dinkum M230.
Kylandee placed reserve in the breeders' group.
Reserve Junior bull was an artificially-bred Canadian Shorthorn, produced by Neil Hellyar, Northern Rivers Artificial Breeders at McKees Hill.
Maddison Park Ulyssis, 16 months, by Biss Element from Maddison Park Doiza N6 - a fully imported Canadian embryo from Saskatchewan stud Horseshoe Creek Farms - wowed the judge who described him as "structurally sound and most complete."
Reserve senior female was awarded to the Santa Gertrudis Riverina Sparkle, on her first calf 22 months, bred by the Sinnammon family, RL Pastoral Co at Kyogle.
The junior female ribbon was awarded to a correct Brangus bred and produced by Weona at Leeville, with station-bred Weona Maggie, 16 months - a prior winner at local shows. The stud was awarded third place in the breeders' group.
