West Australian Limousin studmaster Michael Mamo and southern New South Wales cattleman Tim Reid were introduced to each other at the Sydney Royal Show this year where they made a pact to purchase the junior champion Limousin bull together.
They went on to the national sale at Albury in April and made good their promise, becoming joint owners of Myers King of Hearts for $10,000, when the young black bull was put up for sale by Scott Myers and Samantha Beresford of Moss Vale.
With a weight of 788kg, the lightest of all senior exhibits, he was judged the senior champion bull in the Limousin ring at Brisbane last week, before going on to take the grand champion bull crown.
He was the only exhibit the pair had at the show, but as Tim Reid, who is from Melon Pastoral Company at Roslyn, said, one was enough.
“Michael loved the bull when he saw him but because of Johne’s disease restrictions, he couldn’t take him home.
“He knew he could sell a lot of semen so he was looking for a partner to look after him.
“We run a 700-cow commercial herd and use Limousins over half of them, and the bull suited our program to a tee, so we agreed to the partnership.”
Melon Pastoral last year purchased the bull’s half-brother at the Sydney show and Tim said his calves now on the ground were showing great structural soundness and feet, further confirming the decision to invest in the genetics.
Tim is familiar with the centre ring at Brisbane, having showed the supreme female exhibit, N Bar Miss Black CC&7 G36, an Angus cow, in 2014, but this is the first time he has had a win with Limousins.
Prefix no joke
Kingaroy sisters Carmen and Lannah Sowden are no strangers to the winners circle in Brisbane, last year walking away with the champion interbreed female trophy, and this year it was their bull, Five Star to the Batmobile, who did them proud.
You could almost hear them exclaim “Holy bullseye Batman” as the 754kg son of Graneta Hoo Doo Guru was awarded the champion junior bull ribbon for the three-year-old Five Star stud.
Aged 16 months, he was a calf at Beef Australia last year, and won supreme exhibit at Blackbutt and supreme bull at Nanango earlier this year.
Judge Gavin O’Brien said the Limousin breed was on a roll, based on the showing at the Ekka, ticking boxes for remaining sound without losing yield.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
