Miss World title awarded to Beef Australia's Champion female, Murgona Queen Bee
The Phillips family of Taroom has no shortage of budding cattle breeders.
Two branches of the family were represented at the National Santa Gertrudis Youth Camp held in Warwick in January, where they all competed together for the first time.
Heidi Phillips, Banyak, Taroom, has been bringing her daughters, Ella, 12, and Ayla, 10, to the annual camp for a couple of years, but this year was seven year old Digby's first time competing.
Their cousins, Taylor, 11, and Brian, 9, and parents, Kasey and Daniel, Murgona Santa Gertrudis stud, were also out in force, with Mr Phillips first attending Santa Camp himself as a nine year old.
"We have both been honoured to be invited to judge various classes at the Camp in recent years and impart our knowledge to the next generation," Mr Phillips said.
"We both grew up successfully competing in junior judging and parader competitions and appreciate everyone who volunteers their time and donates prizes for these events. We are pleased to now be giving back."
The cousins are all close and all attend Taroom State School together, as well as helping out on the family's 2429 hectare property, Burradoo, where the Phillips' run both a commercial and stud Santa Gertrudis herd.
"They (kids) are all interested in cattle and love coming to the camp," Mr Phillips said.
MISS WORLD TITLE
It has been a big 12 months for Kasey, Daniel, Taylor and Brian, who travelled internationally for the first time in March this year, but it wasn't just any old trip to the United States that the family took together.
Kasey Phillips said their highly decorated stud female, Murgona Queen Bee, who won Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis Female and Interbreed Champion Female at Beef Australia 2024, also made a name for herself on the global stage, taking out 2024 Santa Gertrudis Miss World.
She became eligible for the Santa Gertrudis Miss World competition after her win at Beef, and she then claimed the Santa Gertrudis Miss Asia/Africa/Oceania title later in 2024.
"She became eligible for the Santa Gertrudis Miss World competition after her win at Beef, and she then claimed the Santa Gertrudis Miss Asia/Africa/Oceania title later in 2024. We went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Santa Gertrudis judging in mid March, where we were hosted and presented with Queen Bee's Miss World title, which included a leather banner engraved with her name as well as a beautiful belt buckle.
"We also made some awesome contacts over there, and it was really interesting to see the styles of cattle of the other countries."
Mrs Phillips said the family was thrilled with the recognition.
"Queen Bee's volume and femininity has always been admired. She is just one of those females that really catches your eye with her presence and structural soundness," she said.
"At our sale last year, we sold three in-utero embryos with guaranteed pregnancies of her and our bull that won champion Santa Gertrudis at Beef, Murgona Raider. At this year's sale in September, we will have the option to select Queen Bee siblings on offer as part of an elite embryo offering we are calling 'pick of the recip paddock'. Three preg-tested recipients will be sold with several different joinings available."
However, Queen Bee's recent success wasn't the first time the Murgona female genetics have been recognised globally.
"We also won the Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis female at Beef 2018 with Murgona Impress, who went on to win Miss Asia/Africa, and that was the first I'd heard of it but it has certainly grown from then. It is judged from a photo, but they have highly respected international judges that are selected each year, and it's all promoted through Facebook."
Mrs Phillips said Daniel registered his first Santa Gertrudis stud (Murgona) when he was 11 years old, but they expanded in 2010 establishing Murgona Cattle Company.
