Beermullah Angus breeders Brett, Lisa and Chase Edwards, Plain Grazing Company, were recognised for their commitment and dedication to the Angus breed last week when they were awarded the Strathtay Trophy during the WA Angus Society's annual general meeting.
The Strathtay trophy was established by the late Jack Young, Strathtay Angus stud, Narrogin and is now presented annually by the WA Angus Society chairperson.
Mr Young believed it was necessary to recognise an individual or group achievement in promoting the Angus breed with exhibition success, the sale or purchase of stud or commercial stock, or setting an outstanding high standard in their chosen field, thereby earning the respect of Angus breeders.
These are the criteria the WA Angus Society chairperson uses to select the winner.
When announcing the Edwards family the winner at the WA Angus Society annual general meeting last week, WA Angus Society chairman Mark Muir said as with every year, selecting a winner within the Angus cattle industry was difficult.
"Who stood out or has contributed above the norm within the industry is something as the sole adjudicator is a challenge," Mr Muir said.
"Last year started off on a reasonable footing with stable prices and demand for our products but then we sure did jump into a spiraling skydive towards earth.
"So looking for positives I guess many people shone out and none more so than the winners of this year's Strathtay Trophy, the Edwards family.
"Looking through the year we heard about the Edwards family winning the hotly contested Gingin Heifer Competition and then when the committee deliberated over who we would like to ask to be part of the Farm Weekly heifer competition their name came up again."
Mr Muir said he and the WA Angus committee were truly thankful for the Edwards family's support of the competition as they were extremely concerned that the way the market was going down that they may have pulled out.
"But due to their generosity and determination to be part of the competition they were still happy to be involved despite the position of the cattle industry," Mr Muir said.
When accepting the award on behalf of his family Chase Edwards said they were honoured to win the trophy and to also supply heifers to the heifer competition this year.
"It is a great competition and something you are proud to be part of," Mr Edwards said.
"We certainly felt very privileged to be asked to supply the heifers this year."
The Edwards family has been breeding commercial Angus cattle since the early 1990s and focus on using top WA Angus sires in its breeding program.
Since transitioning to the Angus breed, the family hasn't looked back.
Today the Edwards family is running a 500 head Angus breeding herd supported by some of the best genetics through the continual purchase of top quality WA Angus bulls, including more recently Koojan Hills and previously Ardcairnie, Blackrock and Diamond Tree.
The quality of their herd was recognised in last year's Gingin Heifer Competition when they were announced the winners in the strongly-contested commercial competition that saw a total of 16 pens of the Gingin region's best commercial heifers assessed across nine properties.
The Edwards family's winning pen of four Angus commercial heifers aged 11 months scored 87 points out of a possible 100.
While the family is a regular competitor, it was the first time they it had won the coveted competition.
Also at the meeting there were four Angus Australia 25 years membership awards announced.
These awards went to the WA College of Agriculture - Harvey, Yadgeno Co, Moora, GJ & E McKay, Perth and Ken Hodby, Badgingarra.
