Victorian stud, Black Diamond, sparkled brightly in the Speckle Park judging claiming three of the rosettes including grand champion female in their debut showing at Beef.
A big volumed female, Black Diamond N86 Silky Touch S1606, with a six month old heifer calf rose to the top with judge Peter Falls, Malton Shorthorns, Finley, NSW, describing the grand champion as having all the attributes needed for longevity in any herd.
"In a commercial herd there are probably only four things we need to look at in females when we bring them in," he said.
"If they haven't good feet they are no good, if they haven't got a good udder they are no good, if they haven't got good temperament they are no good and if they don't get in calf they are no good."
"She has passed all of these things to get here and also has that good volume and is rearing a good calf."
Silky Touch's heifer calf was sired by Posterboy- a bull which Black Diamond bred in their early years in the breed and in which ABS has marketed more than 25,000 units of semen.
Black Diamond stud co-principal Murray van der Drift from Marcorna said the family brought a team of seven head north to Rockhampton to showcase their stud herd to the Qld market and compete among the three state judging.
"It is a ready made audience of people in the same industry as us, the beef industry," he said.
There has been strong interest in their show team which Mr van der Drift said were all for sale during Beef, hoping not to be transporting the cattle the 1850km back south.
Mr van der Drift also sees it as good timing ahead of their Northern Impact Bull Sale at Emerald in September.
"We enjoy doing a little bit of showing and it has been good to come off Sydney and come to Beef and get up again," he said.
At the Sydney Royal Easter Show they won grand champion with a bull which was a full brother to their Beef reserve senior champion bull, Black Diamond Test Drive T1668.
The bull which trumped Test Drive and was both senior and grand champion was Sowden Bite the Bullet exhibited by Sowden Cattle, Kingaroy.
The two year old was an imported Canadian embryo and weighed 868 kilograms with 130 square centimetres of eye muscle, along with 18mm rump and 15mm rib fat.
Mr Falls heaped praise on Bite the Bullet which had given Matt and Shannon Sowden their first grand success in the breed at Beef.
"He has that mobility I want to see in a sire, if they can't walk they can't keep up and it is no good," Mr Falls said.
"He has that natural thickness with it, the volume and extra muscle over his loin, beautiful in sheath and good in the hock."
CHAMPIONS
- No. of exhibits: 54
- Calf champion male: Jackungah Undervalued U129, Jackungah Speckle Park, Pine Lodge, Vic
- Reserve calf champion male: Sowden Sgt Pepper 20, Sowden Cattle, Kingaroy
- Junior champion male: Superb Top Shot, Superb Speckle Park stud, Deepwood, NSW
- Reserve junior champion male: Black Diamond 827F Tropical Rum T2153, Macorna, Vic
- Senior champion male: Sowden Bite the Bullet, Sowden Cattle
- Reserve senior champion male: Black Diamond Test Ride T1668, Black Diamond Speckle Park stud
- Calf champion female: Jackungah H5 109F Kassy U123, Jackungah Speckle Park
- Reserve calf champion female: Ivery Downs Upgrade U24, Ivery Downs Speckle Park
- Junior champion female: Celamba Jewel of Justice, Celia McKay, Bullamankinka
- Reserve junior champion female: Celamba Royal of Justice, Celia McKay
- Senior champion female: Black Diamond N86 Silky Touch S1606, Black Diamond Speckle Park stud
- Reserve senior champion female: Jackungah HS J301 Bambe S27, Jackungah Speckle Park
- Grand champion male: Sowden Bite the Bullet, Sowden Cattle
- Grand champion female: Black Diamond N86 Silky Touch S1606, Black Diamond Speckle Park stud,
