From Sydney to Taroom: Breeds vie for honours in big stud cattle competition
Interest in the stud cattle judging at this year's Taroom Show was intensified by the entries taking part with Sydney Royal show breed and interbreed triumphs from April to their credit.
Both Santa Gertrudis and Simmental breeders headed north with Sydney championship ribbons tucked in their luggage and came away from Taroom on Monday, May 5 with equal honours.
With Bos taurus and Bos indicus judging alternating in one of three cattle rings on the grounds, it was the Elite Cattle Company's Simmental bull, Elite Uproar, exhibited by Glen Waldron and Kim Groner that made its way to the top of the European and British breeds ladder, becoming firstly the junior Bos taurus bull, then grand champion bull in that category.
Mirroring the Meandarra couple's interbreed success in Sydney, where Uproar won the Urquhart Trophy for supreme beef exhibit, the 16-month-old bull went on to claim Taroom's interbreed championship.
He was sired by Elite Quittin' Time, who won Taroom's Superbull challenge in 2022.
It was Santa Gertrudis bull Santahat Ultimate U300 that won the popular Superbull competition on Monday night against seven other bulls, after claiming the senior champion bull and grand champion bull ribbons in the tropical ring for Hatton and Co at Monto.
The 28-month-old bull had won the prize for best Santa Gertrudis exhibit at Sydney, where they were the feature breed, and had been junior and grand champion Santa Gertrudis bull at the Ekka in Brisbane last year.
Ultimate was sired by Diamond H Taipan T315 and claimed the Superbull 2025 title by virtue of a combined judge and crowd score.
Taroom's chief cattle steward Amanda Adams explained that the public is able to buy a ticket for a point each, benefiting the local ICPA branch in the process, which contributes to 50 per cent of the score.
Six judges, three who have judged through the day and three locals, provide the other half of the scoring.
Elite Uproar was second in the night's contest, after starting the day as the winner of the junior bull challenge, with Meldon Park Victorious, shown by R & E Skene in reserve.
White Livestock Service's The Bank U Can't Touch This U24 won the junior champion Bos taurus female championship, while K5X Upturn U9, shown by SB Hayward and KL Smith, was the Bos taurus senior champion bull.
The Elite Cattle Co finished off the Bos taurus ribbon count with senior and grand champion female wins for Elite Black Wendy, who had her bull calf, Elite Warparty at foot.
She had also won the Simmental female grand championship in Sydney and had been the breed's junior champion female at Beef 2024.
"We come to Taroom every year - Ben and Amanda (Adams) do a great job and there's great sponsorship," Kim Groner said.
Bos indicus ribbons were shared by Santahat, claiming both junior and senior champion bull prizes, Glenlands Droughtmaster stud with the senior champion cow, and Wandoan's Murgona Santa Gertrudis stud with the junior champion female, Murgona Stellar.
Stellar went on to be named grand champion Bos indicus female, described by co-judge Mac Shann as having a beautiful front end.
Her delighted breeder, Wandoan's Kasey Phillips said she was their first progeny from an IVF program whose dam was a proven cow, Murgona Hanah, who has had six sons go through the stud's annual sale.
"Stellar was the junior champion female at the Santa camp and at Sydney this year, and she had strong competition here at Taroom," Ms Phillips said. "We never expected her to beat a cow, but her femininity and depth are very strong."
After contesting the Miles show's cattle competition, Stellar, who is preg tested in calf, will "go and do her thing".
Commenting on Santahat Ultimate's grand championship, Brett Hatton said the 28-month poll bull was very well put together and mobile.
"It's the first time we've shown here but we thought we'd come over and have a go - Ultimate's pretty handy," he said.
He'll now go to stud duties at home at Monto.
A total of 170 stud cattle were shown, down on the record of 236 head in 2023, but Ms Adams said this year's number was a good amount that fitted into the sheds and meant they got through the judging comfortably.
"If people want to keep coming back, then we've done what we set out to do," she said.
Clermont's Mac and Gayle Shann judged the Bos indicus section while Spencer Morgan from The Grove Shorthorn stud at Condamine judged the Bos taurus cattle.
RESULTS
Bos taurus
- Jr ch female - The Bank U Can't Touch This U24, White Livestock Services; res - Meldon Park Violet Crumble, R & E Skene
- Jr ch bull - Elite Uproar, Elite Cattle Co; res - Meldon Park Victorious
- Sr ch female - Elite Black Wendy T165, res - RBG Trophy Wife, Matt & Anna Ahern
- Sr ch bull - K5X Upturn U9, SB Hayward & KL Smith; res - Jen-Daview Iceman T2, Jen-Daview Livestock
- Gr ch female - Elite Black Wendy
- Gr ch bull - Elite Uproar
Bos indicus
- Jr ch female - Murgona Stellar, DB & KJ Phillips; res - Wattlebray Unique, Trevor Ford
- Jr ch bull - Santahat Venom V537, Brett Hatton; res - Murgona Sonny
- Sr ch female - Glenlands D Elke, Darren & Helen Childs; res - Murgona Queen Bee
- Sr ch bull - Santahat Ultimate U300; res - Murgona Raider
- Gr ch female - Murgona Stellar
- Gr ch bull - Santahat Ultimate U300
Junior bull challenge
- Champion - Elite Uproar, res - Meldon Park Victorious
Superbull challenge
- 1st - Santahat Ultimate U300, 2nd - Elite Uproar, 3rd - Jen-Daview Iceman T2, 4th - Murgona Raider
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