The Royal Adelaide Show beef shed is full of exhibitors with decades of cattle breeding experience, but last week a newcomer trumped them all to win Stock Journal’s trophy for most successful beef cattle exhibitor.
Eighteen year-old Limousin breeder Phoebe Eckermann from Koruyne, took out the top prize after scooping the pool in the Limousin judging. winning blue ribbons with all eight head in their show team.
The junior, senior and grand champion female and junior, senior and grand champion bull ribbons were hanging above the cattle in the stalls.
Remarkably Aruma Limousins, which Ms Eckermann runs with her father Peter, was established just five years ago and has just 11 head.
“It is a dream come true, I never expected going into this to do this,” she said.
“We thought we had the stock this year so we thought we would bring them and give it a crack – every year it seems to get bigger,” Ms Eckermann said.
Aruma Limousins’ success continued in the led steer competition with a steer they bred part of the winning TFI team.
The steer which was prepared by the Bruggemann family, Glental Partnership, Mallala, was the winner of the 620 to 788 kilogram class and reserve champion export steer on hoof.
Ms Eckermann’s interest in breeding and showing cattle stemmed from attending the Landmark CGU SA Junior Heifer Expo. She says””her passion has grown from there”.
“I’ve always loved how you can create a bond with the animal and how it (showing ) also brings our family together,” she said.
Mr Eckermann says their decision to breed Limousins was chance but the breed’s carcase traits are unrivalled and they are easy doing cattle with a docile temperament.
‘We didn’t pick Limousins- the breed picked us with Phoebe connected to a mentor associated with Limousins to help find her a heifer,” he said.
“The established breeders have been really helpful and really encouraging.”
Aruma’s foundation females were two cows bought from the Galpin family’s Warrawindi stud at Penola and they have since added bloodlines from Qld stud, Oakwood.
The most successful award continues a golden run for Ms Eckermann this year.
She was the non-herdsman winner at the recent Landmark CGU SA Junior Heifer Expo and has also just been named the 2018/19 Limousin Youth ambassador.
Ms Eckermann, who is in her first year studying a Bachelor of Agriculture through the University of Adelaide, is keen to develop her stud futher.
“I am also really interested in agriculture and young people and the connection between city and country so would really love to be an ag teacher one day,” she said.