Black Simmental cross steers claim Great Southern All Breed honours

The cattle quality made the judging difficult at the ninth annual Elders Great Southern All Breeds Feeder and Weaner Show Sale at the Mount Barker Regional Saleyards last week, when a yarding of quality local steers and heifers were presented in the competition.

The line-up was made up of predominantly local bloodlines and was judged by Brett Page, A O'Meehan & Co feedlot manager, Borden.

He had a tough task on his hands placing the weaner and yearling heifers and steers into first and second place across seven categories, as well as sashing an overall champion pen of heifers and steers.

Mr Page said it was an excellent line-up of cattle overall and the competition was quite tight.

"They were really good cattle," Mr Page said.

"There were a lot of really good animals in there for buyers to pick and choose from depending on what they were after, without any difficulty.

"They were good growthy cattle with plenty of potential.

"There were replacement heifers offered in the sale right through to feeder heifers and older steers ready for slaughter and younger steers to suit the feedlot sector, as well as some steers you could grow out for the 100-day market or sell as a domestic feeder.

"There was a bit of everything."

Mr Page said it was a quality line-up of cattle that were well-bred with good muscle, frame, and length of body.

In the steer section, he couldn't look past a pen of Black Simmental cross steers yarded by DW & SM Meade, Narrikup, for his champion pen of steers.

Mr Page said what separated the champion pen of steers was their better length of body.

"They were nice cattle and had good frames," he said.

"They were well-muscled and didn't have a great deal of fat on them and they had plenty of potential as a feeder animal with enough fat on them to finish adequately without the risk of being over fat.

"They were a really nice, soft group of calves that weren't carrying any excessive body fat, with good muscling, length and frame overall."

The pen of 10 Black Simmental cross weaner steers were based on Bonnydale Black Simmental bloodlines and averaged 373 kilograms and sold at 466 cents per kilogram in the sale to return $1738 a head.

Along with winning the champion steer pen sash, the pen of steers from the Meade family won the class for steers weighing 350-400kg.

Collecting two place ribbons in the steer section of the competition was the Matthews family, Kangarabbi Farms, Narrikup.

They received the blue first-placed ribbon in both class for steers weighing 300-350kg and for steers weighing more than 400kg.

Winning class for steers 300-350kg for the Matthews was a pen of 14 Angus weaner steers weighing 343kg which later sold for $1576 and 460c/kg, while the pen to win the class for steers more than 400kg was a pen of 11 Gelbvieh-Angus cross weaner steers weighing 416kg, that later sold for 452c/kg and $1878.

The Matthews' calves were based on Summit Gelbvieh and Ponderosa Angus bloodlines.

The class for steers weighing less than 300kg was won by GI & DL Harland, Gairdner.

The Harland family won the blue sash with a line of 25 Angus weaner steers, based on Coonamble bloodlines, weighing 278kg.

The pen was later purchased at $1419 after being knocked down at the sale's top cents per kilogram price of 510c/kg.

Placing second in the same category was Jamie Dunross, Walpole, with 13 Angus weaner steers, based on Ballawina genetics, weighing 292kg, which sold for $1395 at 478c/kg.

A pen of 12 Angus cross weaner steers weighing 348kg from Redmond-based vendors Ebenezer Livestock, took out second place in the 300-350kg steer classs.

This pen which was based on Mason Valley Angus bloodlines later sold for $1607 at 462c/kg.

MJE Grazing, Mt Barker, was awarded second place in the class for steers 350-400kg, with a pen of 16 Koojan Hills blood Angus weaner steers averaging 388kg, which sold for 464c/kg and $1802.

Another second place getter in the steer category, winning the red ribbon for steers weighing more than 400kg, was SM & JM Burke, Denmark.

They took out second prize with 15 Angus cross yearling steers averaging 432kg and based on Lawsons Angus bloodlines.

In the sale then pen sold at 422c/kg and $1824.

Sale Summary

• Champions
• Champion pen of steers overall: DW & SM Meade, Narrikup.
• Steers more than 400kg:
• First: Kangarabbi Farms, Narrikup.
• Second: DM & JM Burke, Denmark.
• Steers 350-400kg:
• First: DW & SM Meade.
• Second: MJE Grazing,
• Mt Barker.
• Steers 300-350kg:
• First: Kangarabbi Farms.
• Second: Ebenezer Livestock, Redmond.
• Steers less than 300kg:
• First: GI & DL Harland, Gairdner.
• Second: Jamie Dunross, Walpole.
• Champion pen of heifers overall: P & F Billeskov, Narrikup.
• Heifers best suited to feedlot:
• First: Samwell Grazing Co, Napier.
• Second: Ebenezer Livestock.
• Heifers best suited as replacement breeders:
• First: P & F Billeskov.
• Second: K Sanders, Narrikup.
• Champion Charolais pen: R & R Gerovich, Albany.

Mr Page awarded a well deserving pen of 10 Charolais cross weaner steers from R & R Gerovich, Albany, the ribbon for the champion Charolais pen.

The pen of steers weighed 307kg and sold for $1382 at 450c/kg.

When it came to the champion pen of heifers it was P & F Billeskov, Narrikup, that was awarded the champion sash with their pen of 12 Angus weaner heifers based on Hay River Angus bloodlines being a clear winner.

Mr Page said the heifers were a pen of good, growthy heifers that were well-presented.

"They have great frames and long-bodies and aren't carrying too much fat either," he said.

"They are ready to go and be put into a paddock with bulls.

"They had good femininity and were nicely shaped with enough muscle and growth."

The line of heifers averaged 360kg and sold for 400c/kg and $1440.

The pen of heifers from the Billeskov family prior to receiving the champion ribbon placed first in the class for heifers best suited as replacements.

Placing second to the Billeskov family's heifers in the class for heifers best suited as replacements, was a pen of 11 Angus heifers averaging 340kg from K Sanders & T Kilner, Narrikup

The heifers which were based on Keston Vale Angus bloodlines sold for 404c/kg and $1372.

In the class for heifers best suited for lotfeeding, it was Samwell Grazing Co, Napier, that won the first-placed ribbon.

Winning the ribbon for the Napier operation was a pen of 10 Charolais cross yearling heifers, based on Silverstone Charolais bloodlines.

The 329kg heifers sold for $1250 at 380c/kg in the sale.

After collecting an award in the steer section, Ebenezer Livestock, was also on the winners' list in the heifer section when it placed second in the class for heifers best suited for lotfeeding, with 11 Angus weaner heifers weighing an average of 342kg.

The pen was later split in the sale, with eight heifers weighing 337kg selling at 400c/kg and $1348 and three head weighing 355kg selling at 388c/kg, for $1377.