WA cattle breeders last week shone through strongly in the judging ring at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Seven studs representing five breeds exhibited and all showed there is plenty of quality among WA stud herds.
Leading the way for the WA team were two handy young Droughtmaster entries from Doug and Dani Giles, Quicksilver Droughtmaster stud, Newdegate.
The pair were sashed the champion bull and champion female in the other breeds section, for breeds with 19 or less entries.
The junior bull, Quicksilver Navman, by Wajatryn Jimbeam 2228, was 11-months-old, weighed 466 kilograms and scanned 83cm2 EMA.
The heifer, Quicksilver Talia, was a 12mo daughter of Connor Enis.
Navman also claimed the best exhibit in the other breeds section claiming the title over Talia.
The Giles have been long time supporters of the show and regularly exhibit their Charolais cattle and truck across other breeders’ cattle to the event.
This was the first year they had exhibited Droughtmasters, after previously exhibiting them at the Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama and IGA Perth Royal Show.
Mr Giles said their Droughtmaster stud was an accidental pursuit.
“We had two dark red Charolais bulls we were having trouble selling, so we decided to buy some Droughtmaster females to trial them on,” he said.
“Dani and one of our farm managers James Morris went to Kapalee stud, Biloela, Queensland to look for some.
“They bought 27 in-calf cows and six unjoined heifers, but before they could complete the paperwork and get the cattle home, a commercial client bought the bulls.
“So then we turned around, went back to Queensland, bought a bull and a couple more females.”
Mr Giles said the Droughtmaster exhibits in Sydney were from the second drop of calves from those females.
Along with exhibiting their two Droughtmaster animals, for an eighth consecutive year the Giles were also in the Charolais ring.
They exhibited two Charolais entries and their best result in this section was a third in the class for bulls over 20 months but not over 24 months.
Winning the third ribbon for the stud was Quicksilver Macca (AI) (P).
The Thompson family’s Venturon stud, Boyup Brook also exhibited in the Charolais classes.
The Thompsons this year exhibited three junior bulls, three junior heifers and a cow/calf unit and five of them walked away with place ribbons, including two first-placed ribbons.
Winning one of the blue first-placed ribbons was Venturon Maximum Impact (P), which the Thompsons exhibited in partnership with the Winchester stud, Orange, New South Wales.
The Thompsons sold a half share in Maximum Impact to Winchester for $15,000 at last year’s IGA Perth Royal Show.
Maximum Impact, which is by Venturon Keystone (P) placed first in the class for bulls over 14 months but not over 16 months.
When Maximum Impact won its class judge Tom Baker, Woonalee Simmentals, Millicent, South Australia, said the young bull was a star in the making.
“He has the best sire’s head I have seen on a bull and he moves really well,” Mr Baker said.
“He is the complete package.”
Maximum Impact weighed 700kg and had an EMA scan of 114cm2.
Also shining through in the bull classes for Venturon was Venturon New Generation (AI) (P) (R/F), which placed second in the class for bulls between nine and 12 months.
The 566kg New Generation is by Sparrows Kingston 139Y (P) and displayed a 101cm2 EMA in the ring.
The Venturon female line-up also placed strongly and leading the way was Venturon Mariah (P) which won its class for females over 18 months but not over 19 months, while another young heifer from the stud Venturon Need A Diamond placed third in the class for females between nine to 12 months.
Both Mariah and Need A Diamond are by Venturon Keystone.
The stud’s cow and calf unit, a Venturon Crusty Demon daughter Venturon Hollie (P), which was exhibited with a heifer calf at foot, placed second in the class for females over 36 months that attracted six entries.
The stud rounded out its strong showing placing first in the sire’s group class with a team of three animals all sired by Venturon Keystone and second in the breeder’s group class which attracted seven entries.
After a successful showing at last year’s show, James and Casey Morris, Morrisvale stud, Narrikup, again made the trek across to Sydney this year with a team of three – one bull and two females.
Their young bull Morrisvale Nightrider was a standout for the stud.
The 11mo 555kg sire placed first in a class of three for bulls aged nine to 12 months.
Nightrider is by Morrisvale Kept Secret, which was sashed the grand champion bull at last year’s Sydney show when Limousins were the feature and was sold to Warriwindi Limousin stud, Penola, South Australia, at last year’s show.
Nightrider is the first son of Morrisvale Kept Secret to be shown and it carried scan figures into the ring of 9mm rump fat, 6mm rib fat and 105cm2 EMA.
After the judging, the Morris family sold Nightrider to Black Opal Limousins, Coonabarabran, NSW, for $10,000.
Also exhibiting in the Limousin section at this year’s show was Kevin Beal, Shannalea Limousin stud, Albany.
Mr Beal had two entries in the showing – a bull and a heifer and both went home with ribbons.
Shannalea Wisteria Lane N9 placed second in its class for heifers over 12 months but not over 14 months and Shannalea Net Profit (2P) (R) (PU) was second in its class for bulls in the same age range.
The black Wisteria Lane is by RPY Paynes Derby 46Z, while the 666kg Net Profit is a son of Wulfs Xclusive 2458X and displayed an EMA of 118cm2 in the ring.
In the Murray Grey judging Viv Giles, Willawa Greys, Newdegate, presented three animals including Willawa Greys Noelle which finished third in its class for females aged 12 to 16 months and Willawa Greys Manuel, which placed third in the bull class for entries aged over 24 months but not over 30 months.
Also in the Murray Grey classes was a bull, Monterey Mighty Man M79, bred by Gary and Julie Buller, Monterey stud, Karridale, which was exhibited by GP & EJ Burnett, Maefair stud, Artarmon, NSW and CP & TP Ernst, Dehavlyn stud, Singleton, NSW.
The studs purchased the bull at this year’s Monterey sale in a three quarter share sale for $14,000.
The 932kg Mighty Man won its class for bulls over 20 months but not over 24 months before going on to be sashed the reserve senior champion Murray Grey bull.
WA bloodlines also shone through in the Murray Grey’s sire or dam’s progeny class with a team sired by Tullibardine Jeopardy J14, exhibited by the Glenliam Farm stud, Glen Williams, NSW, taking first place.
Rounding out the WA exhibitors in the show was Murray Williams, Yongerellen Red Poll stud, Quairading.
Mr Williams best result was a fourth place with Yongerellen Gracious Kin in the class for females over 30 months.