Glatz’s win back-to-back with blacks

The impressive feat was achieved by Day 4 participants Ben and Samantha Glatz with an outstanding pen of eight pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers due to calve in April-May.

They scored 183 from a possible 200 points for breed characteristics, maternal potential, feet and legs, uniformity, temperament and overall presentation, and physical correctness.

In its third year, the challenge drew 18 entries with the two judges travelling more than 3000 kilometres across the four days.

The challenge aims to encourage studs to showcase their future breeders and promote top-quality replacement heifers.

Judge and former Angus breeder Joe Grieve, Adelaide, described the champions as "first class", scoring them highly for key criteria - general conformation, growth for age, and evenness.

"They were a very, very good even line of well-grown heifers with very good feet and legs," he said. You could have gone into the pen with your eyes shut and picked any one of them and got one of the best.

"One thing I really liked was the condition they were in leading up to calving."

Glatz's stud principal Ben Glatz said it was extremely satisfying to win such a strong statewide competition back-to-back from only two attempts.

The 22-month-old heifers were sired by Black Angus Brambuie F197, Ardrossan Equator A241 and Bushranger F119, and selected from the stud's 31 replacement heifers.

"It is a tremendous endorsement for our industry's relevant and disciplined breeding program,'' he said.

"The uniformity and consistency of type starts with our breeding herd and flows through to our sale bulls and replacement females.

"It is the whole herd accountability that makes our breeding program so strong. Every cow in our herd is capable of producing a replacement female or sale bull, as opposed to relying on a select few ET donor females to get the job done."

The Glatz Black Angus herd is rotationally grazed on dryland perennial pastures at 18 dry sheep equivalent a hectare to 19 DSE/ha and all heifers are joined to calve as two-year-olds.

"Consistent cow herds breed consistent bulls which ensure predictability and uniformity in their commercial offspring," Mr Glatz said.

Fellow Angus breeder and Day 4 participants Colin Flanagan and Pat Ebert, Granite Ridge stud, Avenue Range, were just three points behind as reserve champions.

Co-judge Dean Afford, Lyndoch - judging for the second year in a row - said the standard of cattle had lifted significantly on 2014 despite the seasonal challenges, with only a few points separating the top order.

"We noted the temperament of the groups was considerably improved on the year before, which was pleasing. Temperament is a big factor for cattle regardless of what breed they are," he said.

ANZ state agribusiness manager Steve Radeski said the bank was pleased to continue its sponsorship for the third year, providing $1000 for the champion pen and $500 for the runner-up.

"It is reinforcing the need to continuously improve in all levels of the beef industry, especially the quality of genetics. Bulls are traditionally the main focus but the females are the other half of the genetics," he said.

Mr Radeski said he was pleased the challenge was encouraging many studs to put more emphasis on the broader breeding herd in their field day displays.

"It was a challenge for everyone this year due to the dry conditions but hopefully we can look forward to more entries next year with better seasonal conditions," he said.

"We have a very strong market for cattle which looks like being around for some time, so the demand for genetics, bulls and replacement females, will be very strong."