A 22-month-old bull touted by judge John Manchee, as having the "X-factor" won the top accolade during judging at last week's Herefords Australia National Show & Sale at Dubbo, NSW.
John Manchee, Yamburgan Shorthorn stud, Narrabri, awarded his grand champion from 130 entries to Ravensdale Elliott exhibited by Brian Burgess, Duri, NSW.
"He is a mighty fine individual," Mr Manchee said. He has adequate weight for age and the capacity to really handle it and he is so smooth through the shoulders."
The July 2012-drop weighed 1010 kilograms with plenty of softness at 14 millimetres and 10mm rib fat and an impressive eye muscle area of 138 square centimetres.
He was sired by Debarry Elliott and out of a Merawah female.
The 19 SA-bred bulls were among the placings all day, winning 14 individual class ribbons including four blue ribbons.
They also finished with two broad ribbons.
Allendale Anzac H187 exhibited by Alistair and Jayne Day, Allendale stud, Bordertown, was reserve intermediate champion, and Lachy and Lou Day, Days Whiteface, Bordertown, claimed the reserve senior champion ribbon with Days Patrick H37.
After coming so close in a few of their seven years as Dubbo vendors Mark and Anita, Andrew and Sandra Wilson, Kerlson Pines Pastoral, Keith, finally took out the prestigious Presidents Shield for a group of three bulls - the finale of judging. They were third last year and second in 2012.
Their winning team - all by different sires - comprised Kerlson Pines Highway H12, Kerlson Pines Carrieton H118, and Kerlson Pines Jack. These bulls had earlier won two classes and a second-place ribbon.
"It is a big honour to have our three bulls recognised from a lot of good bulls," Mark said.
"They have the muscle expression, length of body and structural soundness we are trying to breed."
The Presidents Shield featured bulls from 19 studs from SA, Vic, NSW and Qld and was a real spectacle for the whiteface breed.
Mr Manchee and his wife Liz run about 1200 stud and commercial cows comprising Shorthorns and Shorthorn-Santa crosses known as Durham Tropicals
He complimented the whiteface breed on the depth of quality of the classes with many good commercial type of bulls with sound structure and good muscle.
"The ability to lay-down fat is a real strong point of the breed. It is easy to put muscle into a carcase but balancing it so you have the right amount of fat and muscle is one of the big challenges for us as seedstock producers," he said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, June 12, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
