Supreme beef interbreed exhibit: Black Diamond Red Angus, Cowra, NSW, and GK Livestock, Dalby, Qld
Junior heifer: KO Angus, Kangaloon, NSW
Senior female: Black Diamond and GK Livestock
Junior bull: Pine Creek Angus, Cowra, NSW
Senior bull: Waterford Charolais, Mt Macedon
A RED ANGUS cow with a calf-at-foot, exhibited by Black Diamond Angus and Red Angus, Cowra, NSW, in conjunction with GK Livestock, Dalby, Qld, has been sashed supreme beef breed exhibit of the Royal Melbourne Show.
The cow won her class and moved up the ranks to become supreme exhibit of the breed, and later took out the ultimate title during the interbreed judging.
While Black Diamond is not shy of show success, it was a special win given the seasonal conditions they had battled to get to the show.
“We’ve tried our best to look after our main breeding herd,” Black Diamond stud principal Christie Kennedy said.
She said the cow had stood out to her because of her impressive size and structure.
Judge Peter Cook, Barana Simmentals, Coolah, NSW, said she was an all-round cow and hard to beat.
“The competition was very strong among the top three or four, but I thought she stood out,” Mr Cook said.
“It was just the length of body, the performance, the smoothness and the fertility, and outstanding job she was doing on her calf.
“I think she had a bit more to offer the industry than the younger bulls out there.”
Judge Tony Golding, Little Meadows Angus, Dardanup, WA, said she was a beautiful, feminine cow.
“She’s a beautiful-fronted cow, with a good wedge shape and a good udder,” Mr Golding said.
“She had a thumping bull calf on her, a magnificent bull calf, and you will see him next year in the showring – he is a magnificent bull calf.
“You get an animal that says ‘look at me’ and she was that sort of cow.”
He said he initially put the Charolais bull, by Waterford Charolais, Mt Macedon, who took home the reserve champion ribbon, in first place.
“I just thought, for a big Charolais bull, he was well-muscled and structurally correct,” he said.
“He showed that when walked around the ring, and I have not seen a Charolais bull move as freely as he does.”
Waterford’s Sapphire Halliday said he was a really impressive bull who moves around the ring effortlessly.
“He is just two years-old and we have calves on the ground from him already, he is a low birthweight bull with really big figures,” Ms Halliday said.
“He is very structurally correct.”
On average, in each interbreed classification, there were 15-16 animals, about 75 in all.