![JBS Dinmore livestock manager Anthony Griffiths judging the Ekka prime cattle entries at Silverdale Saleyards last week. Picture: Mark Phelps JBS Dinmore livestock manager Anthony Griffiths judging the Ekka prime cattle entries at Silverdale Saleyards last week. Picture: Mark Phelps](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/w29M8BRwGNKhvLeut6EXeW/683523d1-4a06-4d5b-95e8-99e81387cee9_rotated_270_rotated_90.JPG/r0_0_3872_2590_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The led steers may not have been lined up for appraisal, and there was not an opportunity to walk along the catwalk and admire the prime cattle, but the Ekka commercial beef competitions have forged ahead, albeit in a revised format.
Once again showcasing the state's top-quality beef, the competitive nature and hard work of producers, and the industry's determination to not be knocked down by Covid-19, the RNA beef committee worked hard to give exhibitors an end result despite the uncertainty and restrictions.
Committee chair Gary Noller said Paddock to Palate was well and truly done, prime cattle was already slated to run at Silverdale following the success of the competition there in 2020, and last year's led steer competition pivot to hook-only proved the best way forward.
"We had tough decisions to make, but there was an end result for those people who had prepared led steers and prime cattle and we were in some way able to run those events under some normalcy," he said.
"The diehards wanted to do something, and we tried as hard as we could."
At no stage did the committee consider scrapping the 2021 beef competitions entirely, even as the death knell was about to sound for the Ekka itself.
And the ability to pivot the competitions at such a late stage in the game, as well as the willingness of exhibitors to go with it is something the committee is proud of, Mr Noller said.
"We've been planning for a long time and there were different scenarios, but nothing would have changed - we would have still had cattle in lockdown, we would have still had cattle across the border so our numbers wouldn't have changed wherever we went," he said.
"So I think there's a fair bit of pride, there's been a lot of discussion and a lot of time; most of us on the committee would not go back and change a thing, and we wouldn't go back on any decision we made."
Despite the uncertainty in the lead-up to the event, which was returning from cancellation in 2020, Mr Noller said they were committed to it going ahead.
"We committed to a spend, we committed to putting a show on and we did it all under the direction of Queensland Health, and it didn't happen," he said.
"The health of our exhibitors, our patrons, our sponsors, all of our volunteers and that's a huge number, that comes first and animal welfare is very close second. Third, ranging some distance behind, is probably the Ekka.
"While it hasn't gone ahead, and for the second year, I think we need to think of all those other things first and we've been able to pull some things off.
"The pivot has worked we think reasonably well and it's given an end result to those guys that had prepared cattle, particularly in the commercial competitions."
There were 728 head entered in Paddock to Palate, almost 300 head of prime cattle judged at Silverdale, and 110 led steers processed at Nolan Meats, Gympie.