Charolais bull 'next big thing'

Likened to recruiting for a football team, Mr Branson said choosing between senior champion bull Kenmere Hericho of Kenmere Charolais, Cobbitty, NSW and junior champion bull Airlie Jimmy for the grand title was similar to selecting between the number one draft pick and an experienced performer.

"Do we choose between one that we know can play at the highest level and perform well or go with a 'maybe' recruit?" he said.

"That's exactly what we have here, a mature bull that we can see can grow, turn into a powerful beast and stay sound and a calf that has everything ahead of him with enormous performance for his age.

"But can he go on and perform at the highest level? Not every number one draft makes it."

In the end, he chose 10-month-old Airlie Jimmy and said he hoped the young performer would be the next star of the future for the industry.

The 552-kilogram bull, with an eye muscle area (EMA) of 111 square centimetres, was sired by SVY Pilgrim 655S and out of Airlie Fresia G726E.

He went on to take-out the supreme title over the "sexy" junior champion heifer, Myona Opal Girl, exhibited by Steve Martin, for Myona Charolais, Coonamble, NSW.

Myona Opal Girl was a striking 12-month-old Charolais sired by Palgrove Everest E 838 and out of Palgrove Regality 13.

She beat senior champion cow CB Gypsy Pearl from Nigel and Casey Wieck, Delungra, NSW, by a whisker, with Mr Branson repeatedly praising the calibre of Charolais being showed at the Royal Melbourne.

Again, the judge put his money on the potential of the younger of the two, calling her a "very special heifer" and praised the softness of her body.

"... maybe this could be a game changer for the industry and today she is my grand champion female," Mr Branson said.

The senior champion bull title was also a tough call with Mr Branson saying there was a "millimetre difference" between senior champion bull Kenmere Hericho and reserve champion Palgrove Hermes, exhibited by D&S Halliday, Waterford Charolais, Mt Macedon.

"Sometimes when I am in a difficult position, I cheat, and I read the neck card – if you read the neck card on these two it is not going to help," he said.

"There is 2kg difference in their weight, they're the exact same EMA and there is 2mm difference in their fat.

"They are so similar in their type ... they have heaps of performance and lots of strength about them, with both boasting great length and body."

While he commended both bulls as "outstanding", Kenmere Hericho was sashed the senior title for his softness through his body that enabled Mr Branson to separate the two.

"He has exceptional length that really needs another set of axis ... but he holds himself so well as a big, strong bull," he said