A large mural depicting Hereford cattle and Victorian High Country icons of the breed will be unveiled to thousands of livestock buyers and visitors during the famed Mountain Calf Sales in March.
The mural was the brainchild of Hereford breeder Barry Newcomen, Newcomen Herefords, Ensay, and has been painted on a water tank at the Ensay saleyards – in the heartland of the Hereford breed – by Omeo artist Terry Petersen.
The painting depicts a mob of Hereford cattle with stockmen, including well-known Ensay breeder Phil “Bluey” Commins, Nunniong Herefords, on horseback, and Barry and his wife Topsy.
Barry said he wanted the painting to pay homage to the Hereford and its significance to the history of the Victorian High Country.
“The local shire built five concrete tanks at Ensay for firefighting purposes and there is one right opposite the saleyards. I decided it was a good idea to paint it with Herefords and there are a variety of scenes with Hereford cattle,” he said.
“I gave a few photos to the artist and he did a great job with the painting on the tank. It is a great promotion for the breed, and it is receiving a lot of publicity. We are hoping visitors will have a look at the tank and then have a meal at the pub to support Ensay.”
The mural will have its public debut to cattle buyers from around the country at the Ensay leg of the Mountain Calf Sales circuit on Wednesday, March 6 but has already attracted plenty of pre-sale publicity.
Barry Newcomen will again have quality grass fed heavy Hereford and Shorthorn/Hereford steers and unjoined heifers in the Ensay sale.
He pointed to a lift in cattle prices at the Bairnsdale sale two weeks ago as a good indicator for the calf sales. Barry anticipates around 1000 head to be yarded at Ensay, including 220 of his own unjoined heifers.
“The season in Gippsland is pretty good at the moment so I’m reasonably optimistic. Perhaps we won’t get the prices we got last year but we are creeping up there. If we get something up near them, it will be acceptable.
“We had a tough winter and short spring but the calves have good feed now and they are being well managed. We are hoping for our top pen of steers to weigh over 400kg in the paddock the week before.”
Tambo Valley Beef Group will once again hold a pre-sale dinner for buyers, agents, vendors and visitors at the Ensay Winery on Tuesday, March 5. Guest speaker is legendary AFL football player and coach Kevin Sheedy, sponsored by Newcomen Herefords.
The producer group uses its own branded yellow ear tags to denote their vendor bred cattle at the Ensay sale. The Newcomen steers and heifers will carry the ear tags this year as a quality assurance for buyers.