THE supreme exhibit in this year's Shorthorn judging entered the ring in the very first class, catching the eye of judge Trent Johnstone, Trojan Shorthorns, Lyndhurst, NSW, from the get-go.
Belmore Bella P392 from Andy and Sally Withers' Belmore stud, Naracoorte, was a 10-month-old heifer by Marschay Jurggernaut J57, and won junior and grand champion female on its way to the supreme ribbon.
"It's got plenty of power and capacity and plenty of growth-for-age, a heifer I really admire, as it stands there it has got that real outlook about it, a real presence," Mr Johnstone said.
"You get in behind it and there is a power of meat there in that hindquarter, but it also carries that natural thickness right up over the topline where those expensive cuts are."
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Mr Withers said it was extraordinary to win supreme with such a young animal, but he had achieved the feat once before.
"Many years ago we did it with a daughter of Armstrong Major League, a bull we bought the semen rights for after it won in Denver (National Western Stock Show) in the United States - and this heifer is actually very similar," he said.
"It's just so well-balanced, it's wide, soft, wonderful front, very sound, very correct on legs and feet, and so deep."
The Withers family also exhibited the senior champion bull, Belmore Mr Gus N255, a two-year-old sire weighing 958 kilograms, with an eye muscle area of 128 square centimetres and fat scans of 14 millimetres rump and 9mm rib.
Belmore then went on to be named most successful Shorthorn exhibitor.
Bayview Shorthorns principal Chris Thompson, Yorketown, also had a good day in the ring, exhibiting junior and grand champion bull Bayview Wallaby P58.
Wallaby weighed 670kg at 15 months old, and had an EMA of 83sqcm.
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Mr Johnstone said he admired the bull's capacity, thickness, overall doing ability and natural spring of rib.
"It's got a tremendous set of testicles on this bull for a bull of this age ... a very complete bull with that big, strong sire's head on it," he said.
Mr Thompson said Wallaby was the first progeny of Nagol Park ELMT Logo L227, a bull he bought at the National Shorthorn Show and Sale in Dubbo, NSW, two years ago.
Bayview also won the supermarket and EU performance classes, which are judged on Breedplan performance, visual market suitability and structure.
The reserve senior champion bull Roly Park Tasmania and senior champion female Roly Park Duchess Porsha were exhibited by Scott Bruton, Roly Park Shorthorns, Lake Boga, Vic.
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