The Santa Gertrudis breed has claimed its first Royal Adelaide Show supreme beef exhibit and broken a 22 year drought for all breed champion pair on the weekend.
In a fitting result the feature breed’s supreme exhibit, Yarrawonga Fixer L664 went on to win the top prize from more than 400 cattle from 18 breeds.
The 30-month-old, owned by Andrew and Fiona Bassingthwaighte, Wallumbilla, Qld had tremendous sire appeal as well as the second largest eye muscle of any beef breed at the show at 151 square centimetres.
In a landslide win all five judges put the 1105 kilogram bull, who was crowned the champion of champions at the recent Ekka in Brisbane, as their top pick ahead of the all breeds champion female.
This was an outstanding Angus cow, Pine Creek Miss E99 Foreman J181, exhibited by the Fuller and Kennedy families, Cowra, NSW.
An elated Mr Bassingthwaighte described Fixer’s win as the icing on the cake to its earlier show ring success.
He described the Yarrawonga Corvette son as a “modern day Santa Gertrudis bull”.
“It is moderate framed with excellent muscling,” he said
“It is perfect in the sheath with great breed characteristics – normally when you get the tropical breed characteristics it can be at the expense of a tight sheath.
“Its structural correctness is better than anything we have had.”
Yarrawonga knocked back an offer of more than $100,000 for the bull and already have calves on the ground by him.
Fixer wil go out with another 60 cows after the show.
Fixer and grand champion female Yarrawonga Fifi – a three year old cow – were also the clear winners for all breed grand champion pair, six points ahead of the Angus.
The last time the Bassingthwaighte family exhibited in Adelaide back in 1995 they clinched the same title.
Christie and Andrew Kennedy, Black Diamond stud, Cowra, NSW, secured all breed junior pair with a Red Angus bull and a cow from the same embryo transfer flush by Canadian sire Red DMM Glesbar Barndance 35X.
Fellow Santa Gertrudis breeders the Fogden family, Nangaringa stud, Loxton kept the breed in the limelight, winning the Stock Journal Trophy for most successful beef cattle exhibitor.
They won six firsts in the highly contested breed classes with their 11 head, as well as junior champion Santa Gertrudis female and reserve champion bull.
“We had the right type for the judge but it is the type of cattle we have been trying to breed ourselves with plenty of muscle and length and width,” Dick Fogden said.
