A two year-old cow with her first calf at-foot has won the Limousin National Show and Sale at Wodonga.
The apricot, homozygous polled Birubi Lady Lavender L9 (PF) (AA) impressed judge Jake Phillips from when she first entered the ring.
Mr Phillips said this daughter of Canadian sire JYF Yieldmaster 80Y was “a great cow” and “tremendously made”. He said she had traits the industry wanted; moderation, cleanness through front, good feet and legs, deep-bodied and an accurate udder including teat placement.
In awarding the supreme exhibit, Mr Phillips said it was “…very, very hard to breed a good cow” and with advances in reproductive technology, the genetic impact females can have on the breed and the beef industry more generally had grown.
Show success was in her blood, her dam DV Crafty Lady won best exhibit at the Sydney Royal Eastre Show and produced two junior champions there as well.
Owner Annette Tynan, Birubi Limousin and Lim-Flex Studs, Borambola via Wagga Wagga, NSW, said Lady Lavender had put down the bull calf – by a CJSL Windfall son – when she was just under 23 months-old.
“She’s such good, moderate cow; an all-round cow, and as the judge said, you can’t fault her,” Mrs Tynan said.
She beat grand champion bull, Flemington Longyard L36 (PF), exhibited by Mount View Orchards Batlow, Adelong, NSW, to be sashed supreme.
At almost 20 months of age, this junior champion bull weighed 840 kilograms and measured 40 centimetres scrotal circumference, 8 millimetres fat at the P8 rump site, 5mm fat at the rib and 129 square centimetres eye muscle area (EMA).
Flemington stud, managed by Ian and Donna Robson, also had the senior champion bull, Flemington Lotto L27 (PF) – who is just over 20 months old.
Mr Phillips said the two bulls were “really something special”. He said they had plenty of performance and decided to award grand champion bull to the junior because of his maturity pattern. Mr Phillips praised the bulls’ deep bodies, sound structure and good sheath and testicles.
Mrs Robson said the champion bull was reserve intermediate champion at the feature Limousin Show at Sydney. She said its dam was one of the best donor cows they’d bred and its American sire, Wulfs Xtractor had one of the best spread of data in the breed.
The other major winner was junior champion female, Summit Magic Prize L45 (PF), exhibited by Summit Livestock, Uranquinty, NSW. Hayden Green said the heifer was out of their best known cow families, Magic, and was one of the first Wulfs Zane progeny they’d shown.
New award
The Michael Tynan OAM Memorial Prize for Excellence was awarded for the first time at the Limousin National Show and Sale today. The perpetual trophy is awarded to the best group of three bulls, which were all bred and owned by the exhibitor.
Annette Tynan, Birubi Limousin and Lim-Flex Studs, Borambola via Wagga Wagga, NSW, said she felt privileged to present the trophy for excellence in the Limousin breed in memory of her “darling” husband Michael, who passed away a year ago.
“He was always encouraging of us as a Limousin stud and of anyone breeding Limousins. She said Michael was an extremely generous man who was always happy when a Limousin – regardless of from which stud – won an interbreed event.
“I think it’s a fitting conclusion to our National Show to have so many excellent bulls here, and to have six teams enter in its inaugural presentation, it was very thrilling to me.”
Flemington stud, Adelong, NSW, won the award.
*These cattle are among the about 100 lots to be offered for sale tomorrow (May 5, 2017) at the Wodonga Showgrounds from 11am.