WHILE cigarettes are banned at this year's Smoke Free Perth Royal Show, there were plenty of stud cattle and sheep exhibitors on fire with a top quality line-up of livestock being assessed in the first week of the competition.
Stud breeders from across the State converged on the Claremont showgrounds bringing cattle, sheep and fleeces with the hope of taking home a broad ribbon.
In the cattle section, the led and trade steer judging on Sunday saw a full day of competition with numbers in the led steer and heifer section up by more than 40 head despite the tough season.
Two of the happiest exhibitors on the grounds after the completion of the judging were Manjimup trade cattle specialists John Barber and Lone Chorley, who not only exhibited the supreme steer or heifer of the show, but made a clean sweep of the trade section winning every champion ribbon.
Despite the trade dominance, it was the couple's grand champion led heifer, a Belgian Blue-Murray Grey cross, that was judged supreme of the show.
The heifer weighed in at 441kg and had a fat scan of 5mm. It was the couple's first grand champion ribbon win.
Special mention in the steer and heifer department should also go to the Pugh family, Summit Gelbvieh stud, Narrikup, who sold their champion lightweight Gelbvieh-Murray Grey steer for $5100 at the trade sale on Monday. Weighing in at 372kg, this equated to a remarkable $13.70/kg, and is believed to be a record for the show's sale.
Numbers were also up in the Merino ring, with last year's supreme exhibit winner, the Manunda stud, Tammin, coming to the fore again to take out back to back titles.
Manunda's ram, which was also the grand champion Poll Merino ram, beat the grand champion Merino ram, exhibited by the Quailerup West stud, Arthur River, the grand champion Poll Merino ewe, also exhibited by Manunda, and the grand champion Merino ewe, exhibited by Claypans for the ultimate prize.
A full 14 page coverage of all the show action so far starts on page 23 in section 2 of this week's Farm Weekly.
