IT was the youngest exhibit in the Simmental ring, an 11-month-old heifer from Tom and Lizzy Baker's Furner stud, Woonallee Upgrade P391, that was named supreme at the Royal Adelaide Show.
Judge Daniel Shike, an associate professor at the University of Illinois in the United States who teaches and researches beef cattle nutrition and management, described Upgrade as a tremendous female for her age.
"The power and dimensions she has is impressive, and yet she balances up really nicely and is so correct in her lines," he said.
Mrs Baker said Upgrade, who was the reserve junior at the SA Junior Heifer Expo in Adelaide in July, was 'the pick of our baby heifers with her femininity and soft, easy doing style combined with strong maternal characteristics.'
The Bakers brought a team of 10 to Adelaide this year and also took home the reserve junior bull via the 644kg Woonallee Pharoah P364, measuring 114 square centimetres eye muscle area. Both he and Upgrade had the same sire, MRL Missile.
Lewis Bruggeman's Glental Partnership at Mallala collected grand champion bull honours with Glental Protectionist P009, a 750 kilogram junior with an eye muscle area measurement of 125 square centimetres and rib and rump fat measurements of 10 and 9mm.
A long-time steer shower at Adelaide, Mr Bruggeman, a stock agent with elders at Port Augusta, has ventured into stud ring competition in the past two years with his 15-cow stud.
He said he really liked this bull for his maturity pattern, thickness over the top and natural softness.
"His scan data matched up with that," Mr Bruggeman said.
"I try to breed a black Simmental with plenty of softness and doability. Most of our bull buyers have Angus cows and composite herds and are producing weaners. They are looking for that added growth that a splash of Euro can bring."
Dr Shike appreciated the condition Protectionist presented in and said his muscling and shape, combined with the soundness in his movement and data, made him a very complete bull.
The Rothe family, from Pathaway, exhibited the senior female champion, Tolhverrae Nicki Minaj, which Dr Shike described as a "functional, high quality cow that is very correct."
Dr Shike has judged cattle in more than 35 states.
Simmental
Judge: Daniel Shike
Exhibitors: 6
Entries: 40
Junior heifer, grand champion and supreme: Woonallee Upgrade P391, TR&EA Baker, Furner
Res junior heifer: Savannah Zoe P07, Stephen Vivian, Cowirra
Senior female:Tolhverrae Nicki Minaj, DR&SM Rothe, Pathaway
Res: Woonallee Kathie L78, TR&EA Baker
Junior and champion bull: Glental Protectionist P009, Glental Partnership, Mallala
Res junior bull: Woonallee Pharoah P364, TR&EA Baker
Senior bull: Mnt Mooney Pitchy, Mnt Mooney Simmentals, Tintinara