A Hereford infused steer has triumphed in the Royal Melbourne Show steer competition on the hoof by winning championships for a South Australian school.
Grant High School, Mount Gambier, exhibited the champion school and college steer or heifer, a March 2022 drop Simmental/Hereford cross steer bred by Grantley Muller and sired by Tennysonvale Nitrate and out of Rellum Farms YN200. This entry emerged from a win in the led export class 520kg and over.
The 626kg liveweight steer went on to be sashed the champion export steer or heifer on the hoof under judge Peter McGilchrist Armidale, NSW, and Grant High School won the Bott-Burston Perpetual Trophy as the most successful school exhibitor.
On the hook, the steer placed ninth with a carcase weight of 353kg, MSA Index of 57.79, rib fat of 12mm, rump fat of 11mm, eye muscle area of 61sqcm, and 84.37 points.
In the led classes, Finley High School placed fourth in the led domestic 350-450kg with a purebred steer from the Doyle family and sired by Glentrevor Nixon, while in the led heavy domestic 450-520kg, Ballarat Grammar placed third with a purebred steer from Yarram Park Herefords.
Herefords Australia Youth member Henry Brewer, Tallangatta Valley, and representing St Paul’s College, Walla Walla, was junior champion schools and college steer or heifer parader. St Paul’s won the best maintained school or college exhibit.
In the Borthwick Trophy, the Hereford breed was represented by steers from Ballarat Grammar (by Yarram Park sire), Billabong High School (by Glenellen Henty), and Finley High School (by Glentrevor Nixon).
Grantley Muller, Rellum Farms, Mount Gambier, bred the champion export steer out of a Simmental/Hereford cow and also oversees the selection and preparation of the Grant High School’s cattle team.
He had been running commercial Hereford cows joined to stud Simmental bulls and donating steers to the school over the past 15 years.
“We have placed and won smaller carcase competitions, but this is the first really major win,” he said.
Grant High School ended up winning light domestic carcase, heavy export carcase, champion carcase, high point school carcase, and champion school with a stable of five different breeds.
Grantley has volunteered as the cattle captain for the past 17 years, teaching the students the finer points of cattle preparation and handling.
He said the winning Simmental/Hereford cross steer was soft, stylish, quiet, easy doing and had cosmetically thrown to the Hereford.
“The steers were on self-feeders since February/March with the students doing around 80 per cent of the handling and halter breaking. Cattle club involved 35 students having two lessons each Friday and we now have another five steers ready for the Mount Gambier carcase competition.”
Grantley said the Simmental/Hereford was an ideal crossbreed for commercial producers offering weight, frame, red meat yield, milk, fertility and temperament.
“I don’t understand why the commercial world limits themselves to breeding purebred cattle with so many benefits of hybrid vigour, extra weight gain and marketability,” he said.
“The Simmental/Hereford cross works well. I’ve fattened and traded a lot of cattle, and once their skin comes off on the kill floor, if they hit the specs, it doesn’t matter what colour the skin was when they walked into the abattoir.”
Ballarat Grammar agricultural programs co-ordinator Matthew Fitzgerald said the school received eight hand-picked steers from Antony Baillieu, Yarram Park Herefords, Willaura, to select the top four for the carcase competition.
“Antony has been incredibly helpful to the school and chose the steers out of a mob of 450. We fed the majority of the steers for 120 days with the students doing the bulk of feeding and halter breaking,” Matt said.
“The cattle were that quiet we estimated it took nine hours before the students could comfortably hold them on a halter. The steers were magnificent and a great advertisement for the breed.”
Ballarat Grammar had four students from Year 8 to 11 in the show team.
“The students did a wonderful job far above what I thought possible with their work ethic and interest as they had never been to a show before. They are keen to have another go and if they can’t be part of the program, are willing to mentor younger students,” Matt said.
Matt is establishing his own Hereford stud with the animals to be shown through the Ballarat Grammar program.
Herefords Australia Chief Executive Officer Michael Crowley encouraged more Hereford seedstock producers to contribute steers to their local secondary schools or college cattle programs, and take on a mentoring role to impart their industry skills and knowledge to the students.
The Simmental/Hereford steer sashed as champion school and college steer, and champion export steer at Royal Melbourne Show. Images Rellum Farms
Shayla Cole, Grant High School, on the halter of the champion school and college steer at Melbourne Royal Show.
Ballarat Grammar students with the four steers donated by Yarram Park Herefords, Willaura.
Ballarat Grammar students with the four steers donated by Yarram Park Herefords, Willaura.
