Red Cactus Joe again sweeps all before him

Ross Draper’s Red Cactus Joe took out the Grand Champion Bull, Best Exhibit and Supreme exhibit at the Sydney Royal as a 17 month old.

At this year’s Royal Melbourne Show the bull, from the Arthur’s Creek stud,  was awarded Supreme Exhibit, Grand Champion and Senior Champion Bull rosette and ribbons.

The October-2014 bull was sired by Red Cactus Jethro out of Red Cactus Jolly.

Judge Peter Cook, Barana Simmentals, NSW, said Cactus Joe was a big, powerful bull.

“He’s certainly got some meat and power through him and he stands very square,” Mr Cook said.

Joe had an eye muscle area of 145square centimetres, weighed 1285kilograms and had 13mm rump fat and four mm rib fat, respectively.

“He certainly caught my eye, he has got some weight and some performance and for a bull that age, he’s getting around the ring, with no effort at all,” Mr Cook said.

“He has got that natural stance.

“He’s got a foot in each corner, like they used to say in the old Hereford ring, his skin is not too bad and he has plenty of muscle.”

Mr Cook said the Grand Champion Female and Senior Champion cow, S Storm and Sons Stormley Lara, a December 2011 drop animal, was “lovely, big and roomy.”

The Barham, NSW’s stud cow was sired by Stormley Strad Dale, out of Lynbarry Hazel.

“She is a big, deep deep barreled cow, she is a good footed cow and stands nice and square,” Mr Cook said.

He also awarded the Junior Champion heifer ribbon to  Stormley Lara.

“She was what I was looking for, smooth up front and with that good muscle and eye setting,” he said.

“She is not overdone,  I don’t mind a little bit of fat in the brisket, you know those cattle can peform, when they can lay down a little bit of fat and she travels very well.

“She is good hip to pin, she has got a very good pelvis set up and a good soft coat.”