Wandoan's Phillips family walked out of the Beef Australia Santa Gertrudis judging ring on top of the world on Wednesday, with both the bull and female grand championship ribbons tucked in their pockets.
"This is literally the stuff dreams are made of," Kasey Phillips said. "I dreamed last night that we'd won both ribbons."
Their 31-month-old cow, Murgona Queen Bee, together with her heifer calf, was crowned the Santa Gertrudis breed's grand champion female after taking the senior championship from some very stiff competition.
Her achievements came soon after 20-month-old Murgona Raider was awarded the junior male championship in the biggest and most competitive class of the day.
Santa Gertrudis judge Erica Halliday split the class into two heats and said Raider had sorted himself to the top of the group through that process, which spoke for his quality when put up for grand championship judging.
He went on to claim that tricolour, the first for Murgona.
"We can't fault him," Ms Phillips said. "There's not much we'd change about him."
Ms Halliday described Raider as a breed changer, saying he was really thick but combined with softness.
"He'll breed you females that make you a ton of money, because they'll get in calf earlier, for one thing," she said.
Emphasising the importance she places on females in a herd, she told onlookers watching the grand champion female crowning that the difference between an everyday product and a champion one comes down to the females.
Explaining that the type she looks for is one that grows early and has functionality, she said the Phillips' cow, Queen Bee had an extra 'look at me' quality.
Murgona has won the Beef Australia female grand championship before, in 2018, but this is a first for them with a bull.
Summary
- Breed: Santa Gertrudis
- Judge: Erica Halliday
- No. of exhibits: 86
- Calf champion male: Riverina Universe U104, RL Pastoral, Allora
- Reserve calf champion male: Santahat Ultra U029, Hatton & Co, Monto
- Junior champion male: Murgona Raider, Murgona Cattle Co, Wandoan
- Reserve junior champion male: Waco Ultron U28, Waco Santa Gertrudis, Mungalalla
- Senior champion male: Cardona Warlord, Cardona Santa Gertrudis Stud, Blackwater
- Reserve senior champion male:Welbatch Yellowstone, Welbatch Pty Ltd, Mummelgum NSW
- Calf champion female: Santahat Utopia U037, Hatton & Co
- Reserve calf champion female: Santahat Unique, Hatton & Co
- Junior champion female: Waco Utopia, Waco Santa Gertrudis
- Reserve junior champion female: Diamond H Astrid, Hatton family, Chinchilla
- Senior champion female: Murgona Queen Bee, Murgona Cattle Co
- Reserve senior champion female: Welbatch Wildflower, Welbatch Pty Ltd
- Grand champion male: Murgona Raider
- Grand champion female: Murgona Queen Bee