NO one could accuse judge Meat & Livestock Australia Meat Standards Australia operations manager Hayley Robinson of showing favouritism in the led steers on-hook section, with a range of breeds taking out broad ribbons.
The grand champion carcase was a Simmental bred by Lewis Bruggemann, Wilmington, as part of the Glental Partnership enterprise run out of Mallala, and exhibited by Gawler & District College.
GDC Glental George claimed 93.65 points from a possible 100 in the export carcase judging. It had a 100-square centimetre eye muscle area, 15-millimetre rump fat and 9mm rib fat. It had a liveweight of 638 kilograms, a carcaseweight of 333.6kg and a dressing percentage of 52.3 per cent.
Limousins continued their dominance in the Thomas Foods International prize for led steers team championship, winning first place with an overall score of 353.65 points, followed by Herefords on 349.13 points and Red Polls with 342.25.
The Limousin team consisted of Glental Eclipse, bred by Aruma Limousins, Two Wells, and exhibited by Glental Partnership; and Mandayen Spence’s Clive and Mandayen Spence’s Fireball, from Damian Gommers’ Mandayen stud, Keith, and exhibited by siblings Thomas and Zanna Spence, Keith.
Champion light domestic carcase went to Binnowie Downs Nigel, bred by Binnowie Downs, Coonalpyn, and shown by the Coomandook Area School.
The Angus scored 88.04 points and it had a 76EMA, 7mm rib fat and 8mm rump fat. Nigel weighed 424kglwt, and 227kgcwt for a dressing score of 53.5pc.
The heavy domestic champion was Mandayen Spence’s Fireball, exhibited by Zanna Spence.
Fireball scored 92 points and it had a 97EMA, 8mm rib fat and 8mm rump fat.
It weighed 500kglwt, and 279.6kgcwt for a dressing score of 55.9pc.
Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA beef cattle committee chairman David Copping said earlier in the year, after the Thomas Foods International fire, there was some uncertainty whether the competition would go ahead, with the steers usually processed at TFI’s Murray Bridge plant. Luckily, Teys stepped in to offer their Naracoorte plant for processing the steers.
“We were extremely unsure whether we would be holding this competition after the TFI fire but Teys have been very helpful and supportive,” he said.
Teys supply chain manager Jake Phillips said it was a great event to support, particularly because of the strong youth involvement.
“For the young people coming through, this event is a shop window for what careers are out there in the industry,” he said.
“That’s why Teys thought it was important to be involved and ensure those young people still had the competition, as it does open their eyes to the opportunities moving forward.”
