AN outstanding pen of pregnancy tested in calf heifers from Angus stud Broomfield turned the judges’ heads to win the 2016 ANZ Heifer Challenge.
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The Yorke Peninsula-based stud won from 25 entries in the competition – held in conjunction with the SA Beef Field Days – receiving $1000 in prize money.
Broomfield principals Brett and Jenny Graham, Winulta, said it was an honour to win across all breeds.
“There are some good cattle out there across SA,” Mr Graham said.
Broomfield Angus stud was founded in 2010, with the Grahams investing in elite females from NSW, Vic and SA studs.
“Females are the strength of our stud,” Mr Graham said.
“If you have good females, all you need is good sires and you can produce good bulls.”
Broomfield’s winning heifers were selected from 20 replacement females in the 2014-drop. They were 16-18 months of age and due to calve late May/June.
Five of the eight heifers were AI bred, with sires such as Final Product, Nett Income and Westward 24J.
Red Poll breeder Alan Wilson, Minlaton, and retired Angus breeder Joe Grieve, Adelaide, were the judges.
Mr Wilson said there had been a noticeable improvement in the evenness of the heifers since his last time judging in 2013.
Little separated the top entries in the five criteria – breed characteristics, maternal potential, feet and legs, uniformity and temperament.
“When you looked at them (Broomfield heifers), it was hard to fault any animals in the whole pen for their evenness in frame, type and femininity and that is really what decided it,” Mr Wilson said.
“They were structurally correct and everything looked right.”
Mr Wilson said it was great to see the renewed enthusiasm in the beef industry.
“People are investing in sires, replacing yards and other infrastructure and just getting on with the job of producing beef,” he said.
ANZ SA agribusiness manager Steve Radeski said the heifer challenge was a great way for individual studs to promote the genetics of their whole herd.
“The winners had a good group of heifers last year, but they have stepped up again this year,” he said.
“That continual improvement is what we are looking for from individual studs in the competition and the industry as a whole.”
Mr Radeski said a major challenge for Australia’s beef industry going forward would be sourcing replacement females needed to rebuild the national herd, season permitting.
“There will be some cyclical changes to demand but everything we see points to continual improvement in terms of demand and returns,” he said.
