Canberra Royal 2025: Australian Lowline breed judging results

For the first time at Canberra Royal Australian Lowlines were the feature breed with a Victorian producer continuing to show his dominance in the ring in 2025.

Matt Cooney, Cann Valley Lowlines, Lemnos, Vic, took home the supreme ribbon with his heifer Cann Valley UR Sentimental.

The 16-month-old heifer, sired by Rotherwood Radical and out of Cann Valley Sentimental, was the junior champion female, before claiming grand champion female and then the overall title.

Mr Cooney said she was a "special" heifer coming from a long line of champions on both the sire and dam sides.

He said the dam was sold at 10-month-old but they had flushed her, and ended up with two heifer calves.

The supreme heifer's sister had been a reserve champion at Melbourne Royal before being sold.

"Now this sister has come and won the feature show which is pretty special," he said.

Mr Cooney said this was only her second show outing, after taking reserve champion at Geelong.

"We will probably join her and flush some embryos out of her later down the track," he said.

"She's got all the capacity, width and length and good udder development that we're looking for so she's certainly a stand out."

Mr Cooney runs 100 head, with about half of those breeders, and sells a lot of genetics overseas.

He landed at Canberra Royal after a six week trip to the United States, Belgium and Germany looking at cattle and going to shows over there, thanks to a scholarship he was awarded at Melbourne Royal.

"I haven't been home at the farm and everyone's been looking after the cattle and feeding them so it was good to be able to get back and go to the show and do really well still," he said.

Judge Mr Elliot said the heifer had "as much scope and style as you would want in a female".

"She has got that really nice angular neck, a beautiful feminine front and face that leads into a well made shoulder, beautiful strength of spine, a deep middle - all those things that I like to see," he said.

UR Sentimental won the supreme title over the senior and grand champion bull Rotherwood Top Shelf on Ice, exhibited by Mr Cooney's aunt Vicki Gilbert, Terip Terip, Vic.

The two-year-old red Australian Lowline bull, 682 kilograms, was sired by Platinum Park The Red Baron and out of Vitulus Groovi and Red.

Mr Elliot said he was a beautifully headed bull with a strong top and won his class due to his "overall sire style and capacity".

"He carries his meat really well in all the right places," he said.

Top Shelf on Ice claimed the grand champion title over the junior champion bull Cann Valley Sir Ulysses, exhibited by Matt Cooney.

The 16-month-old bull, 498kg, was sired by O'hara Sir Charles and out of Cann Valley Lady Sia.

Mr Elliot said it was the bull's overall length of body, strength and length of spine, along with the amount of red meat he was carrying that named him over the reserve junior champion Applegarth Utopia, exhibited by Applegarth Heritage Farm, Milton, Vic.

Mr Elliot said the 352kg 14-month-old bull, sired by Ardrossan Richmond and out of Ardrossan Merrilee, showed good sire appeal and development.

The reserve senior champion bull was awarded to Locarno Sentinel, exhibited by Sam Dickinson, Edithvale, Vic.

The three-year-old 744kg bull, sired by Whitby Farm P.T. and out of Rotherwood Number One Girl, was described by Mr Elliot to travel around the ring nice and smoothly.

Being the feature breed, calf champions were also awarded with the bull going to Cann Valley Velocity, exhibited by Matt Cooney, the calf champion female to Cann Valley Venus Moon, also exhibited by Mr Cooney and the reserve calf champion female to Rotherwood Victoria's Secret, exhibited by Viki Gilbert.

In the other female classes the reserve junior champion was Whitby Farm CIA, exhibited by K and G Lorains, Zeerust.

The 16-month-old heifer was sired by Ballarat Grammar Fordy and out of Whitby Farm L.C.

The senior champion female was awarded to Cann Valley Super Moon, exhibited by Matt Cooney.

The three-year-old Lowline cow, sired by O'hara Sir Charles and out of Cann Valley Lunar Eclipse, was described by Mr Elliot to "exhibit so much volume, capacity and functionality".

"A cow that's going to last a long time," he said.

Super Moon claimed the senior champion ribbon over the reserve Whitby Farm Gingham, exhibited by K and G Lorains.

The two-year-old Lowline was sired by Whity Farm Ollie and out of Whitby Farm Paisley.

In the group classes Mr Cooney won the pair of heifers and pair of bulls.

Judge: Geordie Elliot, GC Livestock Black Simmentals, Hamilton, Victoria.

Calf champion bull: Cann Valley Velocity, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Calf champion female: Cann Valley Venus Moon, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Reserve calf champion female: Rotherwood Victoria's Secret, exhibited by Vicki Gilbert, Terip Terip, Vic.

Junior champion bull: Cann Valley Sir Ulysses, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Reserve junior champion bull: Applegarth Utopia, exhibited by Applegarth Heritage Farm, Milton, Vic.

Junior champion female: Cann Valley UR Sentimental, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Reserve junior champion female: Whitby Farm CIA, exhibited by K and G Lorains, Zeerust, Vic.

Senior champion bull: Rotherwood Top Shelf On Ice, exhibited by Vicki Gilbert, Terip Terip, Vic.

Reserve senior champion bull: Locarno Sentinal, exhibited by Sam Dickinson, Edithvale, Vic.

Senior champion female: Cann Valley Super Moon, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Reserve senior champion female: Whitby Farm Gingham, exhibited by K and G Lorains, Zeerust, Vic.

Grand champion bull: Rotherwood Top Shelf On Ice, exhibited by Vicki Gilbert, Terip Terip, Vic.

Grand champion female: Cann Valley UR Sentimental, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

Supreme exhibit: Cann Valley UR Sentimental, exhibited by Matt Cooney, Lemnos, Vic.

• Full results in next week's The Land newspaper.