THE WA Charolais region Silver Calf Competition created plenty of interest when it was held in-conjunction with the recent Boyanup WALSA weaner sale.
Run by the Charolais Society WA Region, the aim of the competition is to highlight the benefits the Charolais breed has to offer WA beef producers.
All producers had to do to be part of the competition was to nominate a minimum of six Charolais sired calves as part of the sale and plenty of commercial producers jumped at the opportunity as there were plenty of pens filled with white/silver calves.
Harvey Beef senior livestock buyer Campbell Nettleton had the job of sorting out the more than 40 Charolais sired pens and awarding first, second and third in both the Elders and Nutrien Livestock offerings.
His judging criteria focused on selecting the pens which demonstrated the breed's characteristics that influence profitability.
Mr Nettleton said the Charolais vendors should take great credit for the quality and presentation of the cattle they yarded in the sale.
"They showed some true Charolais traits and they would be ideally suited to the WA cattle market for grain or grass fattening."
In the Elders section the champion ribbon went to the first pen yarded.
The pen of 10 steers, which had an average weight of 456 kilograms, were offered in the sale by Trevor, Les and Rick Howden, Oakview Farm, Crooked Brook.
The pen sold at 386c/kg to return the Howden's the day's top price of $1760.
Mr Nettleton said the winning pen was very even and showed great weight for age.
In the very next pen were another 11 steers from the Howdens and this pen picked up second place in the competition.
The pen had an average weight of 424kg and sold at 410c/kg to return $1738 a head to the Howdens.
The January/February-drop calves are sired by Callanish bulls and out of the operation's 55 Angus-Friesian breeders.
Both the Howden's pens were purchased by Graeme Browne, for Princess Royal Trading, Burra, South Australia.
Third in the Elders section of the competition was a pen of 13 steers from Melissa Waller, ML Waller, Boyup Brook.
The April drop steers were sired by Bardoo Charolais bulls and out of Shorthorn cows.
The line averaged 353kg and sold at 420c/kg to cost buyer Kalgrains, Wannamal, $1481 a head.
In the Nutrien Livestock offering it was a pen of 10 steers weighing 383kg from David Mildenhall, DJ & EAD Mildenhall, Catterick, which won the top award.
Mr Nettleton said the steers in this pen were ideal heavyweight feeder calves, with plenty of shape while still being soft.
The calves were sired by bulls from the Brown family's Montgomery herd and out of Murray Grey cross and Hereford cross cows.
The Mildenhalls run 100 breeders which are all joined to Charolais bulls.
This winning line sold at 418c/kg and $1601 to Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs.
Second and third place in the Nutrien Livestock section was awarded to pens from Garry Quick, EB & G Quick, Donnybrook.
The second-placed pen contained 12 steers averaging 352kg which sold at 436c/kg ($1535) to Mr Abbs, while the third-placed pen consisted of 13 heifers averaging 346kg which sold at 418c/kg ($1444) to a buyer on AuctionsPlus.
The Donnybrook operation runs a herd of 250 Angus breeders of which 120 head are joined to Charolais bulls and the rest are joined to Angus bulls.
The winning calves were sired by Elgin Park Charolais sires and out of Angus females purchased from LT Toovey & Son, Cranbrook, at the Nutrien Livestock (formerly Landmark) mated beef female sale at Boyanup.
Along with taking home ribbons, the winners in each section received a cash prize - first place $350, second place $250 and third place $150.
The competition was sponsored by Elders, Nutrien Livestock and Zoetis, as well as the Charolais Society.
