HEREFORDS
Supreme exhibit: Mawarra B Hereford stud, Longford
Champion bull: Mawarra B
Reserve champion bull: Grangeview Park Poll Hereford stud, Axe Creek
Champion female: Kanimbla Poll Herefords, Holbrook, NSW
Reserve champion female: Kanimbla
BRANDON Sykes, Mawarra B Hereford stud, Longford, has taken out supreme Hereford exhibit with the first animal he has ever bred and entered into the Royal Melbourne Show.
The junior, 14 month-old bull took out supreme over the champion cow from Kanimbla Poll Herefords, Holbrook, NSW.
Judge Diana Wood, Out West Angus stud, Coonamble, NSW, said choosing between the two champions was “like a flip of a coin”.
“We [her and fellow judge Ricky Ferris, Westella Charolais stud, Lang Lang] joked that maybe the best way to pick supreme would be to join the champion cow and bull and bring the calf back as the winner,” Ms Wood said.
“In the end we picked the bull, and I think we swung that way because he was slightly more structurally sound than that beautiful female.”
She said he was the complete package.
“He might still have a bit of growing to do, but he’s going to grow out to be beautiful, well-muscled sire,” she said.
“He was definitely the bull with the most sire appeal, and not just from a commercial perspective, I can definitely see him going on to making a potential stud sire too.”
Brandon Sykes said the bull’s mother, from his parents’ Mawarra Herefords stud, took out supreme exhibit of the breed at the Melbourne Show two years ago.
He said the bull was a strong competitor.
“He’s very complete, he’s well-balanced and structurally sound,” Mr Sykes said.
“He’s got a lot of carcase but is quite soft at the same time.”