NSW Hereford breeders win the whiteface state of origin with Turbo charge

Queensland might be the dominant force in the State of Origin rugby league arena, but whiteface breeders in NSW hold their own at the Royal Queensland Show with a dominance that must be grudgingly admired.

Last year, NSW studs won three of the four champion ribbons.

This year, on Saturday, August 9, all four were heading south of the border, including two to one stud, near Forbes, NSW.

The judge was Lindsay Barlow, a stud and commercial Brangus breeder from Dingo, who said he was looking at the younger, cleaner and squarer junior cattle with interest.

"I kept on going back to those types, especially when I got into the progeny classes," Mr Barlow said.

"In our own operation, I'm trying to steer away from extremes, and I tried to lean towards that today in my judging.

"The cattle from Forbes had plenty in them, without being extreme, that probably would do well up this way.

Richard Ogilvie transferred his enterprise from the south east of the South Australian district of Robe to Wongwibinda, east of Armidale, NSW.

He's been coming to Brisbane for eight years, one year was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I came to Brisbane and showed cattle for the first time in my life," he said.

"We won the junior champion with a bull, Te-Angie Naidoo, who is still a standing sire in our herd."

Of those seven years, Mr Ogilvie's Te-Angie stud has been the most successful exhibitor six times, including on Saturday, August 9.

Turbo was sired by Te-Angie Quattro Q002 from Te-Angie Satisfaction P006. He weighed 1160 kilograms, had an eye muscle area of 138 square centimetres, with a P8 measurement of 18mm and 11mm on the rib site.

But that's not the big news, his bull Te-Angie Turbo, was the senior and grand champion by the end of judging (spoiler alert, there's more great news in the interbreed judging).

Mr York waxed lyrical about Turbo's bone and depth, movement and muscle..

"I am certain when his calves turn up, they will be little brutes," he said.

The reserve senior bull was a Queenslander - Cootharaba Titanic T058, shown by Ian and Anne Galloway, Roma, long-time exhibitors at the RNA.

From the same class as Turbo, it weighed 1024kg, had a massive EMA of 144 sq cm and a P8 of 15mm and 11mm on the rib.

"He just didn't quite have the thickness and the depth of the fellow ahead of him, (Turbo) but there is a tremendous amount of natural muscling in the reserve champion," Mr Barlow said.

Kierin and Nikki Martin, Kianma Poll Herefords, Forbes, NSW, landed another grand champion sash, with their heifer from the 12 and under-14-month class.

Last year, Kianma T-Rex T002 was the grand champion bull.

Their entry in the bull, eight to under-12-months class, was their other junior champion.

Kianma Voodoo was sired by Tarcombe Larry T063 and was from Kianma Princess.

He weighed 512kg, with an EMA of 105 sq cm, earning much praise from Mr Barlow.

"I thought I'd step out on a limb with this young calf. He's got a lot of natural shape and muscle for a young calf.

"He's structurally correct, he's nice and wide from behind, square through the pin section and has a nice pair of testicles," he said.

But when it came to the adjudication for the grand champion male, Voodoo will "hold for another day", Mr Barlow said.

Perennial RNA visitors to the whiteface ring are Scott and Pip Hann, Truro Whiteface, Bellata, NSW.

They showed the senior champion female, Truro Calamity Jane, which was chosen ahead of Mickey Mouse Mystique, shown by Aleacea Nixon, Micky Mouse Herefords, Dulacca.

Ms Nixon was not at the ringside, having just been crowned the Queensland Country Life Showgirl for 2025.

A quick-witted cattle steward noted that both the QCL Showgirl and The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman for 2025 (Cootamundra's Cassandra Bush) were both Hereford breeders.

The reserve junior champion bull was Truro Vice Squad V007, Truro Whiteface, Bellata. It weighed 766kg, was in the 18 and under-20-month class, and had an EMA of 126 sq cm.

The junior champion heifer, Kianma Perfume, was sired by Mawarra Terminator from Cannawigra D1 Perfume G07.

Reserve junior heifer to Perfume was Te-Angie Stella, sired by Te-Angie Naidoo.

Full results

Herefords

Judge: Lindsay Barlow, Dingo.

No. of entries: 60

Junior champion female: Kianma Perfume, Kianma Poll Herefords, Forbes, NSW.

Reserve junior champion female: Te-Angie Stella, Ogilvie Pastoral Company, Wongwibinda, NSW.

Senior champion female: Truro Calamity Jane, exhibited by Scott and Phillipa Hann, Truro Whiteface, Bellata NSW.

Reserve senior champion female: Mickey Mouse Mystique, Aleacea Nixon, Mickey Mouse Herefords, Dulucca.

Junior champion male: Kianma Voodoo, Kianma Poll Herefords, Forbes.

Reserve junior champion male: Truro Vice Squad, Scott and Phillipa Hann, Truro Whiteface, Bellata NSW.

Sen champion Hereford male: Te-Angie Turbo, Te-Angie Poll Herefords, Wongwibinda, NSW.

Reserve senior champion: Cootharaba Titanic, Galloway Cattle Company, Roma.

Grand champion female: Kianma Perfume, Kianma Poll Herefords, Forbes, NSW.

Grand champion male: Te-Angie Turbo, Te-Angie Poll Herefords, Wongwibinda, NSW.