A northern Victorian Shorthorn stud has returned to the supreme podium at the Melbourne Royal Show after securing a number of major gongs and being crowned the most successful exhibitor of the breed.
Roly Park Shorthorns stud principals Scott and Tiffany Bruton, Lake Boga, won the top gong on Saturday, adding to the long list of supreme sashes won at Melbourne over a two-decade period.
"We've had a great day after we managed to pick up the junior and senior champion bull and to go onto the supreme exhibit with the junior champion bull," he said.
"They are both great bulls with a great carcase and plenty of cover.
It was tough competition, but we were lucky to come out on top."
The September 2022-drop bull, Roly Park Theodore, managed to edge out the grand champion female, Finley High School Stephanie, with nine-day old calf, Unstoppable, at foot, exhibited by the NSW school to win the major sash.
"We had supreme champion at Sydney Royal earlier this year with a bull we later sold at the national sale, so we've had a great last 18 months," Mr Bruton said.
He said the diversity of Shorthorns were vast, and the breed was suited to just about every Australian climate.
"They've been bred in Australia for more than 200 years now and they are just built for our conditions," Mr Bruton said.
"I've been in Shorthorn cattle all my life and took on my stud, Roly Park, from my uncle about 20 years ago.
"Originally, we were horned cattle, but we've gone into the polled cattle now and haven't looked back."
Mr Bruton said the stud focused on carcase and early to medium maturity attributes.
"Shows like this are great to benchmark your cattle against other studs there," he said.
"It's hard to compare them against other cattle when you go to other farms, so to get them side-by-side in the show ring is great."
Shorthorn judge Jason Catts, Futurity Pastoral, Baradine, NSW, said the cattle on display showed "great maternal function along with superb carcase and meat qualities".
"Shorthorns are recognised as a premium beef breed and through the JBS Thousand Guineas program, they attract a premium in the market," he said.
"That meat goes to export and to major pubs and clubs throughout Australia.
"The bull was a pretty special calf, he was really high-yielding, had good eye muscle for age and a good finishing ability."
Bryce Eishold
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
