Angus/Shorthorn cross steer wins top carcass

An Angus/Shorthorn cross steer exhibited by Killandayle stud from New South Wales took out the top prize at the Lardner Park steer trial.

The winners were announced at a dinner at Lardner Park last week.

In second place was an Angus steer entered by Dockers Plain Company of Boorhaman, Victoria and third was Karoonda Park of Gelantipy with a Hereford.

The winning entry scored 222.3 points, while second scored 221.6 points and third 215.5.

The highest weight gain pair was won by Dockers Plain Pastoral Company, while the highest scoring pair was won by Ross Farm of Waratah Bay with a composite breed.

The highest eating quality as a pair was won by Forestvale Billabong Beef Company of Holbrook with Hereford/Angus cross.

The highest ranked entry sired by a Hereford bull was won by Karoonda Park with Tarcombe Herefords of Caveat in Victoria in second place and Woomargama Station of New South Wales in third.

It is the 44th steer trail held at Lardner, the only grass-fed competition in Australia. A total of 62 steers competed.

Cattle are managed under independently controlled grazing conditions during the period of the trial, which began in August last year. The final weighing occurred on December 3.

Cattle had to have a hot standard carcass weight between 210 and 285 kilograms and a fat range between eight and 14mm. Penalty points were imposed if cattle fell outside specifications for carcass weight.

Agriculture Victoria livestock extension officer Fiona Baker said the average weight gain was significantly higher than the previous years, with an average weight gain of 1.40kg per day.

Ms Baker said seven steers were outside the specified weight with five over the 285kg upper weight and two under the 210kg lower limit.

Three steers received no points for eating quality. One steer had a pH above 5.7, resulting in a meat colour of four and two steers had rib fat greater than three millimetres.

Guest speaker at the dinner was Weekly Times editor Ed Gannon.

He discussed the paper’s 150-year history being celebrated this year and new emphasis on the paper’s website, social media and an agriculture and business program on pay tv channel Sky.