AFTER the cancellation of last year's Wagin Woolorama due to COVID-19, the WA show cattle fanatics were keener than ever to get back into the show ring at this year's Commonwealth Bank Cattle Expo at the 2023 Wagin Woolorama.
Show ribbons were handed out left, right and centre at the cattle pavilion all day last Friday, with the deserving exhibitors and handlers taking all the glory for their hard work leading up to show day.
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Some of WA's finest show cattle were presented, making it difficult for judges Peter Collins, Merridale Angus stud, Tennyson, Victoria, and Rob Onley, Candy Mountain Cattle, Noorat, Victoria, to pick their competition standouts.
More than 80 head of impressive, quality cattle made up the show participants, entered by 19 exhibitors, along with their handlers, with 10 breeds represented.
The entrants ranged from freshly halter-broken calves to some as old as 16-years, making the day even more interesting, with plenty to see as they paraded around the cattle ring.
The cattle were categorised into three sections, with specialty breeds the first to take on the show ring, followed by the British breeds and European breeds.
At the completion of each category, a champion junior bull, champion senior bull, champion junior female and champion senior female were sashed according to how they were presented and how they paraded around the ring.
Mr Collins and Mr Onley had tough choices to make throughout the day with stiff competition however took a particular liking to a senior female, which moved its way through the competition with a heifer calf at foot after it won the senior champion female in the British breed category.
The standout, Southend Reflection, was exhibited by the Wise family, Southend Murray Grey stud, Katanning, and went on to be sashed the Commonwealth Bank Cattle Expo supreme exhibit and champion multibreed senior champion female.
Although the six-year-old Wallawong Xyris daughter, Reflection, and its beautiful heifer calf by Southend Roman R545 were up against a 22-month-old bull, a 12-month-old bull and a 12-month-old female, they still dominated the show ring.
Mr Collins and Mr Onley made it clear that it was a tough decision but they couldn't look past the power and femininity the animal had.
"She has a very good udder and a great calf at foot," Mr Collins said.
"And she has an equally good depth of body."
Mr Onley said it was a sound cow throughout.
"Her hindquarter and thickness over the top is next-to-none, she is an outstanding animal," Mr Onley said.
Hoping to take out the supreme title was a very powerful 22 month-old Morrisvale Limousin bull, Morrisvale Spitfire, which made the judges decision very tough after it won champion multibreed senior bull.
Led by Spencer Morris, the bull had earlier been sashed the multibreed senior champion bull after taking out the initial European breed senior champion bull title.
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Spitfire is a son of Garren Park Nightrider and was congratulated on the way it paraded and the overall soundness it displayed.
"His overall smoothness and his strong hindquarter is very impressive," Mr Onley said.
"His depth of body is spot on."
The judges both said the way it parades itself and its magnificent walk will be an asset when serving females.
Another supreme title hopeful was Southend Thanos, a 12-month-old bull exhibited by the Southend Murray Grey stud, which earlier won the multibreed junior champion bull.
Thanos is a son of Wallawong Xyris and weighed 548kg and is an exceptional young bull and was praised by the judges for its good length.
"The smoothness of his neck and his depth of rib is very impressive," Mr Onley said.
The other possible supreme title potential was a stylish 12-month-old Murray Grey female, Southend Gemstone, which earlier took out the mulitbreed champion junior female title.
Gemstone is a Southend Narcissist daughter and was best described by the judges as a sleek and smooth young heifer.
"This girl has lots of eye muscle and paraded very well around the ring," Mr Onley said.
The group classes were one of the last to run on the day with a pair of Morrisvale bulls, exhibited by the Morris family, Morrisvale Limousin stud, sashed the winners of the Zoetis pair of WA bred bulls.
Mr Collins and Mr Onley said they just loved the senior bull, Morrisvale Spitfire throughout the whole competition.
"Both bulls are very even in type and both have an exceptional depth of body," they said.
In the pair of heifers it was Kurt Wise's, Southend Murray Grey stud that took out the top honours.
"The thickness and style both of these heifers have is amazing," Mr Onley said.
"They are a very powerful duo of heifers," Mr Collins said.
Mr Wise also dominated the sire progeny group of three award for two heifers and a bull.
The judges agreed that they were the best team to take out the first place sash saying they were a very even, well-structured group of animals.
"The females are a very feminine type," Mr Collins said.
"They are all over, fertile functional cattle, you can tell by the way they hold themselves and the shape of the heifers."
The Nutrien Ag Solutions interschool heifer challenge resulted in Barker High Tea T6, Barker High Murray Grey stud, Mount Barker Community College, leaving the show with the overall grand champion sash.
Tea T6 is AI-bred by Mighty Next Best Thing initially winning the first class of heifers born on or after April 1, 2022, over another Barker High entrant.
Barker High Trouble T2 was the second place competition winner from the class of heifers born on or between January 1 and March 31, 2022, which had five entries.
Trouble T2, sired by Mighty Herbert, won over WA College of Agriculture Denmark's Inlet Views Simmental bull Tameeka T12 which was AI-bred by FGAF Guerrero 810.
British breeds
The British breed category had some of the largest classes of the day and was heavily dominated by the Southend Murray Grey stud, with the stud taking home first place in the three heifer classes and both junior bull classes.
The largest class of the day took place within the British breed category, with 19 entries flooding the D22 class (heifer born from 1-3-22 to 30-4-22) and was won by Southend Gemstone.
Gemstone went on to line-up against two other Southend heifers Perfection and Ovaltine which won their respective classes to claim champion honours.
Mr Collins said Gemstone was a stylish heifer.
"She is very thick through the back and has a great topline," Mr Collins said.
"She walks well and has great legs and feet."
Southend Thanos from the Southend Murray Grey stud took home the champion junior bull title first beating eight other entries in class D18 (bulls born on or between March 1 and April 30, 2022) before going up against Southend Tiptop from class D17 (bulls born after May 1, 2022) for champion.
Mr Collins said Thanos was a good thick type overall.
"He was a great parader and has a great depth and thickness overall," Mr Collins said.
The Southend Murray Grey stud continued its blue ribbon winning streak with the champion senior bull sash going to Southend Roman, which was one of two participants in its class (bulls born before January 1, 2022) with the other bull exhibited by the Esperance Farm Training Centre's Escholar Red Angus stud.
Mr Collins said Roman also paraded very well and was a good overall type and very powerful.
Before being crowned the Commonwealth Bank Supreme exhibit title winner, Southend Reflection, exhibited by the Southend Murray Grey stud took out the champion senior female sash.
Reflection beat one other senior female in its class D24 (female born before January 1, 2022) exhibited by the Mason Valley Red Angus stud, Youngs Siding.
Mr Collins and Mr Onley said Reflection was an overall sound cow.
"She has a great heifer calf at foot and has great depth of body," Mr Onley said.
European breeds
The European breed category had classes that contained anywhere from one to seven head of cattle in each.
There was quality plus in each of the classes with Mr Collins and Mr Onley faced with tough decisions on the larger classes.
The champion junior bull was awarded to Inlet Views Texas, Inlet Views Simmental stud, Denmark, (WA College of Agriculture, Denmark), which came from class D24 (bulls born from 1-1-22 to 28-2-22).
Texas beat its stablemate Inlet Views Titanic, the only other bull in their class (bull born on or between January 1 and February 28, 2022) before going up against another Inlet Views bull Tornado which won its class of seven junior bulls (bull born on or between March 1 and April 30, 2022)
Mr Collins and Mr Onley said the young bull walked very nicely in the ring and had great shape.
"He has a great hindquarter and is very square across the top," Mr Collins said.
The champion senior bull title was achieved by Morrisvale Spitfire, Morrisvale Limousin stud, which came through the D28 class (bulls born before January 1, 2022) and beat the other four bulls it was up against.
Spitfire's smoothness, depth of body, strong hindquarter and powerful body were praised by the judges.
Morrisvale Temtress Flame, which was also exhibited by the Morrisvale Limousin stud took out the champion junior female title first beating six other heifers from its class D31 group (females born from 1-1-22 to 28-2-22) before reigning over the other class winners, another Morrisvale heifer and an Inlet Views heifer, for champion.
Mr Collins said Temtress Flame was an overall well-balanced heifer.
"She has a good neck extension along with a great depth of body," he said.
Elgin Park Charolais' Lorenza was the only senior European-bred female exhibited, entered through the January 1, 2022 class and crowning it the champion senior female with its beautiful heifer calf at foot.
Mr Collins said Lorenza was a great animal overall.
"She has a good refinement on the front-end and has an outstanding heifer calf at foot," Mr Collins said.
Specialty breeds
The judging kicked off with the specialty breeds cattle, where just two exhibitors went head to head.
Miniature Herefords were exhibited by Paragon Miniature Herefords, Waroona, while the Highland cattle were exhibited by the Mac-ladanae Highlands stud, Donnybrook.
Paragon stud was the only exhibitor in the junior bull section, entering two young bulls in class D2 (bulls born between March 1, 2022 and April 30, 2022).
Paragon's Lord TJ took home the champion junior bull sash.
Mr Collins said Lord TJ was very even in structure.
"The cleanness of his front-end and his capacity was very impressive," he said.
"His overall length was very good."
The champion senior bull was awarded to the only entrant, Mac-ladanae Jocks Legacy exhibited by Mac-ladanae Highlands stud.
Mr Collins was very impressed by the bull's neck extension and the way it paraded around the show ring.
Champion junior female was awarded to Paragon Lady Tamara, beating its two stablemates.
Lady Tamara was praised for its overall correctness by Mr Collins.
The champion senior female sash was awarded to the well-deserved winner, Silver Dawn from Mac-ladanae Highlands stud.
As the 16-year-old cow paraded exceptionally well around the ring, Mr Collins added it was very unique.
"She is very sound in the feet and legs for a cow this age, she is an amazing animal," Mr Collins said.
"She has a very good depth of rib and moves incredibly well."
