Two Queensland studs who have bred Brafords for more than 50 years have shared the honours in this year's grand champion female and male trophies at Beef Australia.
The McNamara family of MCN Brafords, Bell, won the grand champion male of the show, while Neil Pacholke and Leanne Ridley of Sunny Lawn Brafords, Clifton, won the grand champion competition.
Braford judge Rick Greenup, Greenup Eidsvold Station, Eidsvold, said Braford breeders presented one "hell of a line up".
"I was pleasantly surprised they had close to 100 head of cattle and a good cross section of breeders and bulls," Mr Greenup said.
"I guess Brafords are in between the soft cattle and the hard cattle and if you're looking for cattle that are going to get to weight early and finish early, and go well in the feedlot, then this is a breed you could consider."
The win for Sunny Lawn Brafords was a particularly momentous occasion as its stud principal marked 50 years of Bradford breeding.
"We're very happy with the win and I'm very proud of the contribution dad has made to the industry," Neil Pacholke's daughter Jade Pacholke said.
The grand champion cow, Sunny Lawn Dresden 1484 P120604, was entered into the female aged 30 to 36 months class and was born in November 2020.
She was sired by Eldon Court Bingo 906, out of Sunny Lawn Dresden 1396, and paraded across the ring with a six-month-old calf at foot.
It was her second offspring to date.
Ms Pacholke said it was not the first competition the stud had won with the female.
"She was the junior champion heifer at the St George Show two years ago in south-east Queensland," she said.
"She is a very good maternal mother and very protective of her calf."
The female earlier won the senior champion female of the show, knocking Chadwick Downs Kathleen R294 P123282 into reserve senior champion female.
Mr Greenup said the female was a "definite standout" in the breed.
"The female was probably a little more of a moderate animal and I wasn't out there to give the prize to the biggest animal, I was there to give the price to the most efficient animal," he said.
"She was definitely one of them, having had a second calf and being able to keep her shape and feet."
The grand champion bull, MCN Wolfman P122390, was a 26-month-old entrant.
The stud, MCN Brafords, at Bell, is owned and operated by Don and Majella McNamara and their two sons and daughter-in-laws, Mark and Tara, and Tim and Amy.
Mr McNamara said the bull would be offered for sale in September in Rockhampton.
After judging, Mr Greenup said the bull was reflective of something any breeder would try and produce.
"He had carcase, he had softness, he had spring and rib and he had a good reproductive area... it's not that easy to breed the perfect beast, but he was a good one."
Just like Mr Pacholke, the McNamaras have also bred Brafords for 50 years and run their cattle across four properties in the Bell district, west of Darling Downs.
The operation includes a commercial and stud cattle component, and cropping for cereal and fodder crops.
"I think it's great for the family to get the MCN name out there," Tim said.
"My uncle has taken the Strathgyle prefix and as part of our succession planning, we created our own stud and started MCN with a lot of Strathgyle bloodlines which formed our foundation herd.
"We're very humbled to have the win and sell the bulls."
Full results
- Breed: Braford
- Judge: Rick Greenup and Sam Donovan
- No. of exhibits: 101
- Calf champion male: Downfall Creek Langley 0218, exhibited by Downfall Creek Braford stud, Guluguba.
- Reserve calf champion male: Little Valley Quarterback, exhibited by Little Valley Grazing Company, Casino, NSW.
- Junior champion male: Sunny Lawn Heavy Duty 1539, exhibited by Sunny Lawn Brafords, Clifton.
- Reserve junior champion male: Riverton Pedro 488, exhibited by exhibited by Little Valley Grazing Company, Casino, NSW.
- Senior champion male: MCN Wolfman P122390, exhibited by MCN Brafords, Bell.
- Reserve senior champion male: Chadwick Downs Diplomat T092, exhibited by Chadwick Downs, Coonabarabran, NSW.
- Calf champion female: Little Valley Miss Natasha P123310, exhibited by Little Valley Grazing Company, Casino, NSW.
- Reserve calf champion female: Sunny Lawn Duchess 1573, exhibited by Sunny Lawn Brafords, Clifton.
- Junior champion female: Little Valley Satin 3635, exhibited by Little Valley Grazing Company, Casino, NSW.
- Reserve junior champion female: MCN Penny, exhibited by MCN Brafords, Bell.
- Senior champion female: Sunny Lawn Dresden 1484, exhibited by Sunny Lawn Brafords, Clifton.
- Reserve senior champion female: Chadwick Downs Kathleen R294, exhibited by Chadwick Downs, Coonabarabran, NSW.
- Grand champion male: MCN Wolfman P122390, exhibited by MCN Brafords, Bell.
- Grand champion female: Sunny Lawn Dresden 1484, exhibited by Sunny Lawn Brafords, Clifton.