Beef Australia interbreed champions crowned

Under soggy conditions, judges Scott Dunlop, Ian Galloway and Wayne York passed their opinions over the multi-breed exhibition of champions.

The first result announced, the supreme champion group created Beef history when the team from the Fuller family's Pine Creek Angus Stud, based at Cowra, NSW was announced the winner.

It's the first time a British breed has won the group championship at Rockhampton, and stud spokesperson Christie Fuller said it was "pretty cool" to break that drought.

"I did say before we left, if there's one I'd like to win up there, it's this one," she said.

"My Dad, he's been breeding cattle for 60-odd years, Angus, and we've been very successful in the show ring in the south and even up as far as Brisbane, but to come up and win at Beef, it's a pretty good thing."

The entry consisted of reserve senior champion bull PC Diamond Top Prize T048, PC Diamond Miss Unanimous S032, the Angus senior and grand champion female, and PC Diamond Miss Royal Roll U030, reserve calf champion female.

Ms Fuller said the bull had won junior and grand championship ribbons at Adelaide and Melbourne last year, while the 36-month-old cow was new to the judging scene, having been broken in as a two-and-a-half-year-old, just after giving birth to a heifer calf.

The Angus team was one of seven shortlisted along with Charolais, Droughtmaster, Red Angus, Romagnola, Santa Gertrudis and Simmental teams.

A dream came true for Wandoan Santa Gertrudis breeders Kasey and Daniel Phillips after they claimed interbreed champion female.

Murgona Queen Bee and her heifer calf were awarded one of the industry's most prestigious awards.

Also shortlisted were the Angus, Simmental, Charolais and Romagnola.

The stud's co-principal Kasey Phillips described the win as a "dream come true".

"I had a dream earlier in the week that we'd won ribbons," she said.

"We're ecstatic by this win.

"My husband Daniel and I have been married for 14 years now and we've been actively breeding Santa Gertrudis cattle since then."

This is the first time since the first Beef in 1988, that a Santa Gertrudis female has won an interbreed championship, when the Sinnamon family won with their female, Robenlea Nightingale.

The Phillips family brought seven exhibits to Beef 2024, and they've been exhibiting Santa Gertrudis cattle at Beef since 2015.

"She's exactly what we're trying to breed," Kasey said.

"Her four-month-old heifer is sired by Waco Sonny Bill, which we purchased a couple of years ago."

As the heavens opened up during the judging of the interbreed female, Kasey said she'll celebrate the win first by having a hot shower.

Oakwood Cutright, owned by Red Oak Genetics, Kapunda, South Australia, Lindesay View Limousins, Kyogle, NSW, and Ulster Limousins, Murgon, claimed the male title.

The bull was purchased from the Performance Limousin Twilight Bull Sale last August for $30,000 and has had considerable semen sale interest.

It's the first time Limousins have won an interbreed title at Beef. Interestingly, Cutright's mother was runner-up interbreed female champion in 2018.

"It's a good legacy for her," breeder Paul Foreman said.

The Brahman, Brangus, Charolais, Hereford, Simmental and Red Angus were finalists.

The Price family of Moongool Charolais at Yuleba made it back-to-back supreme female wins when Moongool Radical 26 was elevated to the top title.

New South Wales won the state of origin battle for the supreme interbreed male title with the prize-winning bull, Royalla Ventura P158, taking the top gong.

It was full siblings, grand champion bull NCC Novak, calf champion male NCC Navajo and calf champion female NCC Nova who took out the 2021 breeder's group.