A LIMOUSIN steer described as “a cut above the rest” was named champion during the first cattle judging event at the Royal Queensland Show on Tuesday.
The 490kg steer owned by Brooke Parlane, Pine Mountain, and bred by Ray Zahnow of Fernvale Limousins was named champion junior led steer by judge Berry Reynolds.
Sifting through the 56 nominated entries, Mr Reynolds said the champion Limousin was the complete package.
“He is a class act,” he said.
“His length, his depth of body, his spring of rib, his strength of spine, his reach up front. He is structurally so sound.”
The apricot steer was one of three entries from sixteen-year-old Brooke Parlane who also claimed second and seventh during her first Ekka steer appearance.
She said the champion steer had caught her eye when picking him from the breeder.
The reserve champion steer was awarded to the 438kg Charolais cross steer from New England Girls School (NEGS), Armidale.
The steer won the 401-445kg class, which had 32 nominated entries.
Having fallen short of championship ribbons previously, the win was humbly accepted by the 10 NEGS students who exhibited five steers in the competition.
Agriculture teacher and livestock team manager Mark Fisher said it was also a proud moment for their breeding herd of 10 head.
“He is a school bred steer out of one of our commercial Charolais cows by a Speckle Park bull,” he said.
“Originally we had a Charolais stud but we decided to go commercial just for exhibition steer competitions.”
Meanwhile in the heifer competition, a secret feed ration known as “rocket fuel” helped a Dubbo school claim both championships.
A 450kg Limousin heifer from St John’s College was sashed champion junior heifer from 33 nominated entries.
The school’s 430kg Charolais cross heifer was then awarded reserve champion.
The winning heifer was purchased from the Coonamble High School while the school’s ration mixer, David Knaggs, bred the reserve female.
It was a sweet reward for Mr Knaggs who reduced his breeders from 70 to 10 head and his ewes from 800 to 200 to get through drought conditions in Dubbo.
A total of 330 led steers and heifers were nominated for the Royal Queensland Show, with 241of them open led steers to be judged on Wednesday.
At the completion of judging the champions, reserve champions, and first three place getters will be auctioned.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
