OSullivans Special K will be hoping to back up his Sire Shootout success when he heads to the Royal Queensland Show next month.
Internet issues at Lower Mount Walker in Queensland interrupted his owners Mick and Sandy O'Sullivan from finding out they had won the European bull class of Sire Shootout on Tuesday but thankfully they didn't have the same interruptions on interbreed night.
The couple were watching at home when their 16-month-old black Limousin bull came extremely close to winning the entire event but fell just four points short of overall winner, Sunny Lawn Felix.
Mr O'Sullivan's son Nathan not only encouraged them to enter the bull in the competition, but delivered the news of their class win.
"It (our internet connection) dropped out when they announced the third place in the European breeds," Mr O'Sullivan said.
"I didn't know who won so I had to ring up Nathan (my son) because I thought we must be in with a shot.
"(Thursday) night we got to watch it all and I was really, really pleased with Ben's comments on the bull and it was really pleasing to hear that from a renowned and very successful breeder.
"We were really quite humbled. We have had some really nice comments on the bull and we will see what happens in the next six weeks or so."
The couple reduced their breeder numbers from 75 to 35 head but are using embryo work to maximise the quality of their genetics.
Special K was by Summit Masterplan L27, a sire that had been breeding consistently for the stud, and out of OSullivans Black Pearl K35; a cow family that had made a big impact on their herd.
"His mum has bred pretty well for us," Mr O'Sullivan said.
"She has always had bull calves and we've topped our sale a couple of times with sons of hers. She is a cow we have flushed a bit recently... and we have got some more ET calves to drop out of his mum due later in the month."
While they aren't big show goers nowadays, the OSullivans exhibited Special K at the Rosewood Show where he was named supreme exhibit and are now preparing for the Royal Queensland Show in early August before he is sold at the BJF Invitational Sale on August 12.
"We are normally a spring calving but it was just that we had him and another couple that were out of whack with our normal calving season but we just thought that hopefully people can see him for what he is and can appreciate his age," Mr OSullivan said.
"We just think he is a really good balanced bull and we are really proud with the bull.
"The real good bulls know they are good and are pretty showy and he is certainly like that.
"We did our scanning for Breedplan back in March and it came up with big EMA and IMF for a Limo as well, so we are pretty excited about the combination of things he provides."
His class judge Mr Mayne said Special K had the "wow factor".
"He ticks all the boxes," he said during the interbreed final.
"He has got a beautiful sire's outlook, he is so correct, soft, big long bodied with plenty of muscle...imagine what he is going to be as a two-year-old.
"Look at the tremendous amount of meat down his spine and yet you look at him walk and he is just amazing.
"He is a special bull."
The win delivered his owners $3000 in cash, $1000 Riverina voucher and $1000 advertising with Australian Community Media along with a $300 Livestock Connect voucher for winning his breed class.