Boonaroo Angus stud, Casterton, Vic has come up trumps in the 2017 ANZ Heifer Challenge, continuing the Angus breed’s reign over the prestigious title.
The competition, held in conjunction with the SA Beef Field Days, aims to showcase the maternal strength of participating studs’ herds.
Boonaroo’s outstanding 16-17 month old heifers which are due to calve in August edged out 23 entries.
Shane and Jodie Foster said it was a “great honour” to be recognised in such a high standard of entries.
The Fosters have also enjoyed great success in the RASV Heifer Challenge in Vic Beef Week, overall winners in 2016, and top ten finalists for five of the past six years.
“Females are the backbone of our herd- if you have got quality females you can breed quality progeny,” Mrs Foster said.
“By showing people what our replacement heifers are like hopefully when they come to look at our sale bulls they can see the females the bulls are capable of breeding,” she said.
The six animals were selected from 54 replacements and were progeny of Boonaroo Federation, Merchiston Generate, Anvil J0006 and Irelands Fletcher– the same sires as the bulls in their 2017 sale to be held on February 17.
“We picked a type we wanted to represent us- docility, excellent structure, good feet, long bodied and good deep sided females with plenty of meat and volume,” Mrs Foster said.
Judges Nick Ashby, Snowtown and Dean Afford, Lyndoch scored each entrant on breed characteristics, maternal potential, feet and legs, uniformity and temperament.
“It was hard to fault them- they were well-grown, well-presented and the temperament was right,” Mr Afford said of the winners.
Six studs were within three points of the top including Jason and Penny Schulz, Raven Limousin and Lim-Flex studs, Field who were runner-up, by just 0.5 points.
They entered 18-20 month old Lim-Flex, largely out of Raven Yankee John J8.
The Schulzs are eagerly awaiting the heifers’ calves, due in late May.
The majority of these are in-calf to new US AI sire LFLC Ace 750A, a homozygous black polled bull.
“We believe we are breeding a great article for the industry, but it seriously something when independent people view the animals and rate them equally to what we think they are,” Mr Schulz said.
Mr Schulz said they had chosen to enter to showcase Limflex females and the females their clients can breed from their Limousin bulls.
“ Lim-Flex are the best cows in our herd for their robustness and resilience.”
“They are very fertile as well and the hybrid vigour adds a fair bit to them.”
ANZ HEIFER CHALLENGE DAY WINNERS
Day 1 : Glenfern Angus, Yundi
Day 2: Raven Limousin and Lim-Flex, Yundi
Day 3: Boonaroo Angus, Casterton, Vic
Day 4: Walmona Santa Gertrudis, Truro
