NSW Angus stud Pine Creek made a spectacular Royal Adelaide Show debut, claiming both grand champions in the Angus section.
The Fuller family have been a formidable force in the eastern states at Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne royal shows for many years but had been unable to attend Adelaide, until now, because their annual sale was always held at the same time in early September.
But moving from Bylong Station to Cowra earlier this year and instead selling bulls by private treaty left an opening for them to make the 12-hour trip.
Their team turned plenty of heads, including that of judge Rachel Wheeler, T&R Genetics, Wellington, who awarded the stud a broad ribbon for each of their four animals.
Leading the charge was Pine Creek Miss Shiraz H449. She kept her unbeaten showring record intact as senior and grand champion female.
Her long list of accolades includes supreme Angus exhibit at Sydney Royal Easter Show and last year at the same event, as a heifer, she was the supreme interbreed champion heifer.
Ms Wheeler said the 2.5-year-old first-calving female with a six-month heifer calf was a clear standout.
"It is so hard to get a cow with so much performance and shape and bone and still manage to be so correct and feminine - she really did put it all together and was doing a fantastic job on her calf," she said. "I just loved her type and her whole make-up."
Miss Shiraz is owned in partnership with Rachel Wyllie and Richard Hassell, Brailes Investments, Banbury, UK who spend three months each year in Australia during the eastern states show season.
She outclassed stablemate and junior champion female Pine Creek Miss Chardonnay J301, at 10 months the youngest in the breed but had natural thickness.
Both females were daughters of HF Tiger 5T - the 2009 World Angus Forum grand champion bull.
Senior champion bull was one of the most difficult decisions of the day for Ms Wheeler.
Pine Creek Kodiak 5R H130 just edged out a slightly younger bull from the McLachlan Group, Talis stud, Glenquarry, NSW, for his extra shape and thickness.
He was sired by HF Kodiak - a highly sought-after Canadian-bred bull in which Pine Creek owns the Australian and New Zealand marketing rights.
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 18, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
