THE SULLIVAN family’s Riverglen Pastoral Company at Glenmorgan has claimed the RNA Paddock to Palate crown for the second year in a row, winning the overall 100-day export section with Charolais steers.
Northern NSW crossbreeders Rob and Kelly Lamoureux claimed the top prize in the 70-day trade section via Santa/Angus/black Simmentals.
The results of the prestigious competition, presented by lot feeding industry leaders Mort and Co, were presented last week at the Royal Queensland Show.
A massive 110 pens, encompassing close to 800 head of cattle between the two sections, contested the 2016 event, which offered a prize pool of $45,000.
The three-phased competition - weight gain, carcase and eating quality - is arguably the most well-rounded of its kind in the country.
A total of 35 points per head can be achieved in the weight gain, 100 points per carcase - taking in everything from fat distribution and lean meat yield to marble score and eye muscle area - and up to eight points per pen in the eating quality phase.
Steers were fed at Mort and Co’s Grassdale Feedlot, Dalby.
Depth and quality in the female herd to underpin consistency was expressed repeatedly as a high priority among the winners.
Riverglen first topped the pen of six carcase section with a score of 477.
Second place overall in the export class went to a Shorthorn pen from Narrabri’s Manchee Agriculture.
David and Prue Bondfield’s Charolais/Angus pen, bred at Dalveen, had the best weight gain in the export class at 2.95 kilograms per day.
A second pen of the same cross from the Bonfields gained 2.89kg/day to finish third, just behind Yulgilbar Pastoral Company’s Santa Gertrudis/Charolais steers at 2.90kg/day.
The Myer family-owned Yulgilbar, at Baryulgil in Northern NSW, had a very strong showing in the competition, also collecting both first and second place in the pen weight gain section of the trade class at 3.27 and 3.17/kg/day respectively.
Both were Santa/Angus pens and Yulgilbar recorded the highest individual weight gain of 3.74kg/day.
A purebred Santa Gertrudis entry from Yulgilbar finished fifth overall.
Homebred bulls - Yulgilbar being one of the country’s prominent Santa Gertrudis studs with 600-odd breeders - sired entries, with the operation also using a cross section of Angus bulls purchased from high-performing studs such as the Chappell’s Dulverton, Ced Wise’s Glenisa and Bruce and Heidi Lyle’s Prime Time.
General manager Rob Sinnamon said three Yulgilbar teams were entered in both the domestic and export sections, and all placed in the top ten for weight gain, a pleasing result which showed the consistency being achieved.
Lamoureux magic
NEW England crossbreeders Rob and Kelly Lamoureux finished both first and second overall in the 70 days trade competition, with their top pen of Santa/Angus/black Simmentals scoring 617.35 from a possible 858 points
The pen gained an average 480 kilograms, which first earned the entry reserve champion carcase.
The Lamoureux’s second pen earned an overall score of 605.78 and gained 459kg, which also placed it in the top three in the carcass event.
At “Kingsford” Armidale, the couple run a herd of 250 Santa Gertrudis-Angus, joining cows to black Simmental and Angus bulls. Home raised composite bulls account for 50 per cent of the bulls used.
The 700 hectares of native pasture are rotationally grazed.
This year’s feeders steers were turned off at an average weight of 410kgs at nine months, marketed through AuctionsPlus.
Simmental bulls are sourced from Woombarmurra Stud at Nundle and Angus from Greg and Sally Chappell’s Dulverton Angus near Glen Innes.
“For us it is always about the cow,” Mr Lamoureux said.
“If her confirmation is right, then everything - from better weight gains to a better carcass -
falls into place when the right bull is added.
“We like to keep between 12 and 25 per cent Bos Indicus content in our cows for better confirmation, mothering and doing ability.”
The win tops off a massive year for the operation, with Kingsford steers collecting both grand
and reserve champion in the latest Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial, run at Teys Australia’s Jindalee Feedlot near Temora.
The couple say entering these type of competitions is about confirming they are on the right track.
“We don’t like to get caught up in new fads - you can’t jump ship mid-stream, you have to decide on a course and stick to it. Conformational type is rigorously adhered to,” Mr Lamoureux said.
“It is a long and slow track to get the right article, and things can always be improved with feedback.
“We definitely have consistency now, which these results have shown.”
Cutting-edge competition
RNA’s Gary Noller said the Paddock to Palate was cutting edge in its ability to move the beef industry into the future.
“We have a consumer today who has a great deal more awareness and wants to know the story behind their food,” he said.
“This competition provides that opportunity.
“Sold through Super Butcher under the Royal 100 brand, and only available as far as the Paddock to Palate stretches, the beef put through this competition comes packaged with the most comprehensive information.”
Despite very tough seasonal conditions prior to feedlot entry, and wet weather during feeding, the top weight gains were comparable to those achieved by seedstock producers feeding sale bulls, he said.
“Certainly they are some of the best weight gains under the conditions that we have seen in the competition,” he said.
Paddock to Palate winners
100 DAYS EXPORT
Overall: 1. Riverglen Pastoral Co, Glenmorgan. 2. Manchee Agriculture, Narrabri. 3. Brodie and Ayesha Clifford, Ettrick.
Best weight gain pen of six: 1. David and Prue Bonfield (2.95kg/day), Dalveen. 2. Yulgilbar Pastoral Co, Baryulgil. 3. Bonfields.
Highest individual weight gain: Bassinghthwaites, Wallumbilla (3.30kg/day).
Pen of six carcases: 1. Riverglen. 2. Jeff Noller, Injune. 3. Cliffords.
Champion carcase: Cliffords.
Reserve: Jeff Noller.
MSA eating quality: 1. Minnamurra Pastoral Co, Boggarbri. 2. Douglas McNicholl, Dalucca. 3.McClymont Farming Trust, Goondiwindi.
Highest individual index score: Minnamurra.
70 DAYS TRADE
Overall: 1. Rob and Kelly Lamoureux, Armidale. 2. Lamoureux. 3. John Dougherty, Casino.
Best weight gain pen of six: 1. Yulgilbar (3.27kg/day). 2. Yulgilbar. 3. Cliffords.
Highest individual weight gain: Yulgilbar (3.74kg/day).
Pen of six carcases: 1. Lamoureux. 2. Comiskey Bazadais, Capella. 3. Lamoureux.
Champion carcase: Comiskey Bazadais.
Reserve: Lamoureux.
MSA eating quality: 1. Minnamurra. 2. McClymont. 3.Weeboolabolla Shorthorn, Munro family, Moree.
Highest individual index score: Brian James, Gunnedah.
