Lowlines make a 20-hour trip to Ekka to collect top small breeds honours

Cann Valley Super Moon was named interbreed supreme champion female of the 2025 Royal Queensland Show. She is held by owner Matt Cooney, calf held by Carlie Mackelmann and ribbon by judge Hannah Powe and Liz Allen. Picture by Shan Goodwin.

The 20-hour drive from Victoria to make their first appearance at a Royal Queensland Show paid dividends for the team of Lowlines, and a Dexter, from Cann Valley Cattle Co.

Matt Cooney's Lowline bull, Cann Valley Sir Ulysses took top honours in the small breeds interbreed on August 15 while his cow and calf package, Cann Valley Super Moon was named interbreed supreme champion.

Interbreed champion small breeds bull of the 2025 Royal Queensland Show went to Cann Valley Sir Ulysses, led by owner Matt Cooney, with the ribbon presented by RNA beef committee councillor Gary Noller, Blackall's Liz Allen and judge Hannah Powe. Picture Shan Goodwin.

Judge Hannah Powe, Cargo in NSW, picked him out for being a remarkable carcass and high-yielding type of bull, balanced with refinement through the front end and a beautiful square hip.

Mr Cooney said Lowlines were more than cattle to him - they were his life.

He has loved the breed since he was 12. Growing up a city boy in Melbourne, he would visit his aunt Vicki Gilbert who has Lowlines under the Rotherwood name in the Gippsland region.

A year ago, Mr Cooney left his full-time job in telecommunications management to pursue a career in cattle and hasn't looked back.

He is now sending semen and embryos worldwide and also runs a fitting service catering mostly to small breeds.

He currently has 100 head of Lowlines plus 60 head of client's cattle on his property at Lemnos.

"There is a lot to like about Lowlines," Mr Cooney said.

"The world is moving into a time where there is a big need for sustainability and this is one of few breeds developed for Australian conditions to produce more beef per acre.

"We send genetics to buyers as far as Belguim, the United States and New Zealand but we have a particularly strong, and growing, market in the European Union where farms are getting really small and Lowlines suit their programs."

Both Mr Cooney's interbreed champions were sired by the same bull, O'hara Sir Charles, and his team of ten Lowlines also included Rotherwood bloodlines.

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He also led the champion female Dexter, Carragheen Up'n'Coming, for his client Carragheen Dexter Stud at Cootamundra in NSW.

Champion female Dexter, Carragheen Up'n'Coming, led by Matt Cooney, with the ribbon presented by senior vice president RNA Dan O'Conner, Brisbane. Picture Shan Goodwin.

Ms Powe described the exhibit as a lovely balance between beef and dairy types, very stylish and with so much soundness about her.

In the Highlands, Sarah Vaughan and Hugh Hayden's Koolah Creek Highlands on the NSW Mid North Coast collected the grand champion bull with Alasdair Leal.

The two bulls that Koolah showed were the first males they have kept entire in five years of breeding.

Grand champion Highland bull went to Alasdair Leal, bred by Koolah Creek Highlands and led by Sarah Mega. Presenting the ribbon was Jane Thomas. Picture Shan Goodwin.

Ms Vaughan, a veterinarian by trade, said it was very nice to know they were heading in the right direction with their breeding.

The couple sell Highlands up and down the East Coast.

"We wanted beef cattle but we only have a small property so we looked for something niche for different marketing avenues," Ms Vaughan said.

"This breed allows us to both tap into the pet market and make full use of all parts of the animal.

"They are lovely animals to work with and have huge, and very individual, personalities."

Champion female in the Highlands went to Sgarlaid Alice of Mostny, bred by Lisa Johnstone of Toowoomba.

The grand champion Highland female, Sgarlaid Alice of Mostny, led by Haylee Armstrong, with RNA president David Thomas and judge Hannah Power. Picture by Shan Goodwin.

In the Australian Heritage Angus, Tracey and Greg Krahenbring's Mason Farm at Lockyer Waters shone, with grand champion female coming via Mason Farm Bright Fashion.

Ms Powe said the 10-month-old was compact and classy, with so much muscle, and struts around the ring with style.

Mr Krahenbring said the female was first shown at Toowoomba as a calf where her mother was sashed champion senior female.

"She was weaned just after that and hasn't been beaten since," he said.

Grand champion bull in the Australian Heritage Angus was Mason Farm Skye High, led by Tracey Nuttridge, with the RNA's Garry Noller holding the ribbon and judge Hannah Powe. Picture Shan Goodwin.

Grand champion bull also went to the Krahenbrings, thanks to Mason Farm Skye High, a 600 kilogram bull with an eye muscle area of 104 square centimetres.

Ms Powe, a genomics specialist for Neogen Australia, said all four champion females showed enormous breed characteristics, along with the fundamentals of extra capacity, performance and moderate maturity patterns all while maintaining structure and overall femininity.

The line-up of champion females in the small breeds beef judging at the 2025 Ekka. Picture Shan Goodwin.

Speaking collectively about the group of bull champions, she said they were cattle that have the fundamentals in terms of structural integrity, depth of body and capacity, testicular development and a lot of overall sires appeal.