Midas touch mixes with Spartan effort for success in Beef '24 Gelbvieh ring

Brian and Jasmine Kaddatz, based at Cinnabar, near Gympie, could hardly wipe the smiles off their faces as judge Andrew Olive gave the nod to their 35-month-old bull, Kadfarm Gelbvieh Spartan, bringing their Merrinvale stud its first major win.

The family has been breeding Gelbviehs for 30 years, collecting second and third placings at previous Beef Australia competitions as Kadfarm Gelbviehs, but this is a first for the second generation.

"He's been placing as a junior bull but as a working bull he's been just under condition," Mr Kaddatz said. "This time he was just right."

He was sired by Summit Nullabor, a Western Australian bull who Mr Kaddatz said he'd sought out for his incredible eye muscle area and fat cover.

Spartan exhibited much of those genetics, with an EMA of 131 square centimetres, and even fat scores of 4 millimetres at rib and P12 measurements.

Chris Braithwaite's Midas Gelbvieh stud, based at Murgon, featured in nearly all the results in the ring on Tuesday afternoon, including the prized grand champion female ribbon.

Midas Yeletta S024, also the senior champion Gelbvieh cow, with a heifer calf at foot, was from a Western Australian bull, Glendale Pivotal and a Midas cow and was aged 32 months.

"She presented herself exceptionally well, structurally correct and with a good udder," Mr Braithwaite said.

As far as her sire went, Mr Braithwaite said he needed outside genetics and Pivotal had Canadian bloodlines, which he was chasing.

"It really clicked with my cattle," he said.

Midas Gelbviehs took most of the awards at Beef 2018 and repeated the feat this year.