A selection focus on marbling, positive fat and muscle is helping two young Hereford breeders genetically lift their family’s commercial operation, while cementing their own futures.
Grace, 21, and her sister Emily Elsom, 19, founded their Emigrace Poll Herefords at Warrabkook, Vic, in 2017 and continue to mix with the industry big guns, outlaying top prices at the Injemira Beef Genetics annual bull sale this month for the third time in a row.
In 2022 they paid $70,000 for the top price bull and Herefords Australia Super Sire, Injemira Kickstart P093 R153. They backed up last year to take home Injemira Patriarch S042 for the sale’s top price of $75,000 and again this year stepped up to pay the top price of $75,000 for Injemira Patriarch T340 (PP).
Weighing 724kg and with an average daily gain of 1.43kg, the October 2022 drop Patriarch T340 was sired by Bowen Patriarch P017 and ranked in the top 2 per cent of the breed for muscle at +7.1sqcm. The homozygous polled sire had an IMF of +0.9, milk of +20kg, birthweight of +1.7kg and gestation length of -0.8 days, and a southern baldy maternal index of $225 which is in the top 5% of the breed.
Grace liked the young sire’s birthweight, growth, eye muscle area, rib and rump fat, and IMF BRREDPLAN figures.
She plans to use him via Artificial Insemination (AI) and as a backup bull in the commercial heifers and by AI over stud heifers.
“They were all figures that will improve our stud and commercial herd. The Patriarch line is a standout and having the progeny (of Patriarch S042) on the ground before this year’s Injemira sale really encouraged us to buy another Patriarch son. They have gelled so well with our cattle,” Grace said.
“By using the Injemira genetics we have seen an improvement in the commercial herd over the past seven years, especially with the replacement heifers and we have been turning off around 100 weaner March /April drop steers averaging 350kg every year at the Hamilton weaner sales.
“I select bulls that are breed average or above for their 200- and 400-day weight, as it gives us the best chance of a quicker turnover of weaners.”
The sisters are in partnership with their parents and commercial Hereford breeders David and Michelle Elsom, “Old Ripponhurst”.
The Old Ripponhurst steers are often bought by Marc Greening, Injemira Beef Genetics, for grass fed programs.
“Marc’s feedback was we needed to improve our IMF so we keep focusing on that as well as rib and rump fat, and EMA,” Grace said.
“Local backgrounders bought our steers in 2023 and they gave us feedback on how happy they were with the way the steers have grown out.”
Emigrace was founded in 2017 with a purchase of four females from the Bowmont Herefords dispersal.
The sisters went on to purchase the top price heifer, Kanimbla Tia Maria P150, for $8000 at Kanimbla Poll Herefords in 2019, two Wirruna heifers in 2021 and a heifer at the Banemore stud dispersal in 2020.
They will continue to sell the semen from their bulls this year and will be calving 25 registered females whilst the commercial herd comprises 270 autumn calving breeders.
The family already has calves on the ground sired by the 2023 purchase, Injemira Patriarch S042, out of stud and commercial heifers.
Grace and Emily aim to produce commercially relevant bulls and sold three out of five bulls offered at the 2024 Beef Week open day.
“The main comment from repeat buyers is they were happy with the quality of the bulls we are producing. One client from Colac runs dairy and commercial beef cattle, while others are beef producers from Coleraine and Hawkesdale,” she said.
“The bulls are all paddock reared under commercial conditions and supplemented with silage.”
Grace is aiming to offer eight bulls for sale at the 2025 Beef Week open day.
The sisters attended the 2023 Stud Beef Handlers Camp at Geelong with three heifers – Emily won reserve senior champion handler and was highly commended in the junior judging.
They followed this up with an 1800km round trip to the Herefords Australia National Youth Expo at Parkes to learn, reconnect with friends and meet new ones. Emily went on to attend the SA Junior Heifer Expo for the first time and received a merit award in her handler class.
At the 2023 Royal Geelong Show, the stud exhibited the champion Hereford bull and female. This was backed up at Warrnambool show with champion calf, junior champion female, senior champion male, grand champion Hereford bull. In the interbreed Emigrace won champion calf, and grand champion senior bull.
They didn’t stop there and took out champion calf, senior champion female, senior champion bull and in the interbreed, champion calf and champion senior bull at the Colac show.
The success continued at Ballarat Show with champion and reserve Poll Hereford bull, champion and reserve Poll Hereford female, and best presented team in the shed.
“We love getting out and showing the Herefords, and educating the general public about the breed,” Grace said.
A Herefords Australia Youth Committee member, she values the opportunities to make new connections, participate in the youth camps and gaining lifelong friendships.
She has been working with the committee helping to organise the Hereford feature show at the 2024 Royal Canberra Show and planning for the Herefords Australia National Youth Expo at Cootamundra in July.
Grace works part-time managing a commercial Angus herd and on her family farm while Emily works on the family farm full-time.
Grace Elsom, Emigrace Poll Herefords, with her senior champion beef interbreed bull at the 2023 Colac Show.
Five bulls were offered by Grace and Emily Elsom, Emigrace Poll Herefords, during the 2024 Beef Week open day. Images Emigrace
