Woonallee wins supreme

Peter Collins, Merridale Angus, Tennyson, spoke on behalf of the three-judge panel and said it was an unanimous decision to award the supreme exhibit to the Woonallee Charo H140.

"She’s damn near perfect," Mr Collins said of the solid red cow.

"She’s clean-fronted, structurally very sound, she’s deep-bodied, she’s A-shaped, she’s got a huge hindquarter, a wonderful udder and a fantastic looking calf.”

The four month-old bull calf at-foot was her second calf, and the cow was back in-calf.

"You just can’t go wrong when you’re breeding cows like that in any colour," Mr Collins said.

Tom Baker, who exhibited the winning cow with wife Lizzy, said winning supreme at Melbourne for the first time was a terrific and very humbling result.

The cow was bred from an imported embryo from Canada’s Lewis Farms and Mr Baker said they planned to do some embryo transfer work with her.

The Bakers won all breeds champion bull at the Royal Adelaide Show earlier this month with Woonallee Ladykiller L15, which won reserve junior champion interbreed bull at Melbourne.

Patrick Halloran, Bush Park Limousins, Kyneton, won reserve champion senior female with Mandayen Jill J2402, for the second year in a row. They May 2013-drop black cow had her second calf, a heifer, at-foot.

Fellow interstate competitors Elite Cattle Co, Murwollock, Meandarra, Queensland, had the supreme senior champion beef breed bull with Elite Kustom Made.

The 23 month-old Kindara Captain Jack son tipped the scales at 988 kilograms and measured 9mm rum and 5mm rib fat, and 130 square centimetres eye muscle area.

The couple made the 20-hour drive to Melbourne for the first time to take part in the feature show.

Judges commended its structure and balance.

Reserve was awarded to Waterlilli Knight, exhibited by 15 year-old Lilli Stewart, Waterlilli Angus, Birregurra.

Lilli’s family didn’t have cattle until she went to a handlers camp when she was eight years old.

“Then I convinced Dad to get me a heifer and it went on from there,” she said, adding the stud had now grown to have 12 cows and two bulls.

The reserve interbreed ribbon is the pinnacle of her showing career to date. It was the first time she had shown Waterlilli Knight and she planned to sell him privately.

It weighed 956kg and scanned 16mm rump and 15mm rib fat, and 130sqcm EMA.

Deborah and Sapphire Halliday’s Waterford Charolais won supreme junior champion beef breed heifer with one year-old heifer Waterford Lady Gina L33E (P) that they sold for $14,000 at the Charolais sale on Saturday.

After spirited bidding, it was eventually knocked down to Ron Johnstone, Milford Charolais, Beaudesert, Queensland.

Deborah said it was the first time they had won interbreed heifer.

Reserve went to the Australian Shorthorn heifer Spencer Family Diva (AI)(ET) exhibited by fellow Victorian breeders, the Spencer family, of Yuroke.

The interbreed junior champion bull was awarded to the Limousin entry – Flemington Legend. The May 2015-drop bull was shown by Ian and Donna Robson, who manage the stud owned by Mount View Orchards, Batlow, NSW.

The bull was reserve junior champion at the Royal Easter Show, Sydney, when it was only 10 months old.

Roughly six months later it went one better and weighed 756kg, and scanned 12mm rump, 8mm rib and 125sqcm EMA.

They have sold Canadian semen rights to the young bull and Mr Robson said at this stage, they plan to retain the May 2-15-drop son of Warrigal High Vision, in the stud.

The Robson family had a successful show with the five-head team taking out five first ribbons.

Reserve went to the Baker family’s Woonallee Ladykiller L15, that at 18 months of age, weighed 900kg and scanned 135sqcm EMA, 8mm rump fat and 7mm on the rib.