Why small breeds can't be underestimated in Beef carcase comp

Gympie's Terry Nolan of Nolan Meats Pty Ltd runs 100 stud Blonde d'Aquitaine cows under the Cooloola Blondes brand and took home overall champion and reserve champion in Beef's National Beef Carcase Competition in 2021.

Cooloola, also placed third, fourth and fifth in class four (grain-fed pen of three medium trade chiller steers or heifers 180-260kg).

It then quinellaed in class five (grain-fed heavy trade chiller steers or heifers 260.1-340kg) and was third in class seven (open class heavy trade steers or heifers 260.1-360kg).

Mr Nolan, whose family is better known in the meat processing side of the beef sector, said they started breeding Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in 1991.

"We have a passion for having high growth, young cattle," Mr Nolan said.

"We don't really have a breed favourite as such, but in the processing business, we like the influence of European breeds, whether that be Blonde d'Aquitaine, Limousin or Charolais, we just find that our yields are better and the cattle are often a bit younger.

"We certainly acknowledge that a lot of people like different sorts of beef and there's a large percentage of the Australian consumer that still like lean beef, not everybody's into the heavy marble product.

"Our ambition was to try and have fast growing young cattle with minimal fat, optimal yield or muscle meat and high dressing percentages."

Mr Nolan said he sold a handful of Cooloola Blondes bulls each year and the rest of the cattle generally went into replacement herds or entered into carcase competitions.

He said Cooloola Blondes would be returning to Rockhampton this year for Beef 2024.

"The cattle we're exhibiting in 2024 are the same high standard of what we exhibited in 2021," Mr Nolan said.

"We've entered several pens of pens of three steers and pens of three heifers and we like to put a mixture in just to show both sexes can perform well.

"Obviously, all our cattle are grain-fed and we don't compete in the grass-fed classes. Grain feeding suits high content European cattle. Beef Australia does a wonderful job in promoting all facets of the beef industry and we like to be a part of it."

Mr Nolan estimated their MSA index could be a couple points lower this year.

"The MSA index was an important part in the scoring, so I don't have high hopes this year but we're doing it to support the competition," he said.

"It does rely heavily on MSA attributes and I think that MSA is still under-appreciated in Australia or around the world. People still default to the US position that more marble is better. Being a meat processor and wholesaler, we find that a lot of our clientele don't really want the heavy marbled product."

Mr Nolan emphasised the resilience of Blonde d'Aquitaine and other small breeds used in Australia, stating that they should never be underestimated.

"To win this competition previously, I think there's a little message in that as well, that we shouldn't be so breed prejudiced, we should think about the production system and the objectives and outcomes we want to achieve in our beef processors operation," he said.

"It was a great win in 2021 at Beef for the small breeds. I think it's good to have the less recognised breeds taking out the top gong."