FOR this year’s winners of the Farm Weekly-WA Angus Breeders Win 10 Angus heifers competition Selga and Steve Beckwith, who are relative newcomers to the world of cattle breeding, the long trip east to watch the Angus judging at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show as part of their prize was both inspiring and eye-opening.
The couple breed Angus cattle at Beermullah near Gingin, to produce lines of mated heifers along with bull calves for live export.
Along with winning the 10 Angus heifers from Richard and Robyn Walker’s Coonac Angus herd at Wilga, the win landed them a three-day trip to the recent Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Their commercial herd of Angus is a sideline to horticulture interests, with Mr Beckwith the State manager for the WA division of Costa Berries.
“We started with Murray Greys but saw how well Angus cattle were performing in country north of Perth – they have the hardiness combined with top of the line eating quality,” Mr Beckwith said.
Of their time spent in the Sydney Angus ring, the Beckwiths said the the quality of the cattle on show was fantastic and the numbers at that high quality was incredible.
“The judge has had a very hard job,” he said.
“This is a very big pavilion and Angus judging is taking up half of it.
“That sort of thing really gives you confidence in the future of the breed.”