It’s taken six years, but the Sullivan family from Riverglen Pastoral Company, Condamine, has reclaimed the perpetual, memorial shield named in honour of the late John Sullivan, a noted Charolais breeder.
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Riverglen exhibited the winning pen of export weight pasture fed carcases in the prestigious JBS competition, which has been held by D&AD Bassingthwaighte, Yarrawonga, Wallumbilla, for the past five years with Santa entries.
Riverglen reclaimed the title with a 400kg average Charolais-cross entry finished on oats.
Michael Sullivan said the win was particularly rewarding because of his father’s long commitment to the competition.
“His skill was always being able to select six similar steers,” Michael said.
“There’s a real challenge in selecting that number of similar animals, so it is great we’ve been able to secure a win in the competition Dad dominated for so long.”
Both the champion and reserve champion JBS carcases were exhibited by brothers Reg and Midge Thompson, Nanango, with Charolais/Limousin-cross entries. Those heavyweight steers had also been finished on oats.
In the Woolworths pen of three pasture or grain fed MSA steers and/or heifers competition, Ben and Megan Drynan, Gallinani, Esk, came up trumps with their Charbray entry.
The champion single carcase – an Angus – came from Bremer Feedlot, Grandchester. Reg and Midge Thompson had the reserve with a Limousin/Charolais-cross entry.
The top award in the HGP-free Coles Supermarket pen of three pasture or grain fed steers and/or heifers competition went to a thrilled Girlie Goody, Malakoff, Monto, for her grain assisted Limousin-cross entry.
Awards in the Coles competition for both the champion carcase and reserve champion carcases were secured by Ben and Megan Drynan who had fed the steers on a Bremer Stock Feeds ration.
Oh brother . . . just a point off the big one
It’s a good thing the O’Dwyer brothers are able to see the bigger picture when it comes to winning and losing.
For ten years, as a team, they have entered the hook and hoof competitions at the Royal Queensland Show, mostly with steers they’ve bred and prepared on the family beef operation, Tallar at Roadvale.
This year, not for any particular reason other than all three happened to purchase different steers at sales they thought had a bit of potential, they had separate entries.
Matt and Ben, who are both butchers, combined to entered two and Anthony, a livestock agent with GDL at Dalby, entered three steers.
Anthony’s 490 kilogram straight Limousin edged out a heavyweight Limousin-Simmental owned by his brothers by just one point to claim the grand champion led steer carcase on Saturday.
All three brothers said it was a good example of what carcase competitions are all about - trying to find that tiny little bit of edge.
The winning steer first won the middleweight class on the hoof, then hook before scooping the pool.
