We continue to bench mark our breeding program by competing in Australia’s highly prestigious feeder and carcase trials against some of the best seedstock and commercial beef producers through out Australia. Last year, we ended up entering in 3 Feeder/Carcase trials including RAS Beef Challenge NSW, EKKA RNA Paddock to Palate QLD and Beef Australia’s ANZ National Carcase Competition QLD with our drought born and weaned progeny. The sole reason for us entering these competitions is to access our data and see the comparisons of where our breeding program sits against not only Angus but all other breeds and crosses. This information, particularly the profit section is analysed and provides us direction in our breeding program. For the first time Texas Angus entered the RNA Paddock to Palate and achieved results we never dreamed of, see below.
2021 RAS Beef Challenge – Wilga Feedlot NSW
After a year of hiatus, The Sydney Royal Beef Challenge was back and once again Texas Angus dominated the podium. Of the 8 championship broad ribbons on offer Texas Angus took home 5! Texas Angus was awarded the following
- Champion 70 Day Domestic Pen
- Reserve Champion 70 Day Domestic Pen
- Champion Domestic 70 Day Individual
- Reserve Champion 70 Day Individual
- Champion 100 Day Export Pen
- Highest Marbling Pen for Domestic & Export & Individual
Once again Texas Angus took out the profitability section of both the domestic and export section of competition which is our 6th consecutive year! We won the most profitable pen for Domestic Pen (1st, 2nd & 3rd) as well as taking out the daily weight gain of the individual section (1st, 2nd, 3rd). On top of this we also won the most profitable export pen and the eating quality of an export individual animal.
(Lachie, Kate Cowan, Rosie & Will Mayne displaying this years placing in the Feeder/Carcase Trials)
We have always been focused on profitability in our breeding program and it’s heartening to be rewarded with our 6th year of winning this all important section of the feeder carcase trial. We have always said every facet of the beef industry needs to make money whether it’s the breeder, the backgrounder, the feeder, processor and at point of sale. So we believe it is paramount as a seedstock breeder we should be aiming for this in a breeding program and we have been working at this for quite some time!
Grand Champion 100 Day Export Pen (Steers)
The Champion Texas Domestic 70 Day Pen was $1,851.29 more profitable than the lowest pen and $935.19 more profitable than the average pen. The most profitable animal (Texas heifer) was $928.33 more profitable than the lowest individual. When you crunch the dollars you can see why genetics that can outperform in the feedlot are worth a lot of money to feedlotters especially with the margins of cattle prices and feed cost are eroding. Also our Champion Pen and Reserve Champion Pen had the highest marble score pen for the domestic competition. Our winning Champion Export Pen also proved to be super profitable $1,859.02 more profitable than the lowest pen of the competition. Both our Champion and Reserve Champion Domestic Pens had the highest marble score and our Champion Export Pen had the highest marbling pen and individual of the competition.
Grand Champion 70Day Domestic Pen (Heifers)
2021 RNA Padock to Palate – EKKA Cecil Plains QLD
2nd placed steers in Class 40 RNA Paddock to Palate
Last year, was Texas Angus’s first time entering the EKKA’s RNA Paddock to Palate competition with 2 pens in Class 40 – 100 Day Export HGP Free Class. We scrapped the barrel and found 14 steers that just slipped in the weight range and really wasn’t expecting anything special as these steers were weaned at 3 weeks of age during the drought! But to be placed 2nd and 6th in the daily weight gain section at the field day against 203 steers which was a complete surprise for us and snagging a ribbon first up is apparently very unusual. To miss the blue ribbon by 0.065kgs/day with our pen averaging 2.18kgs/day that was 0.8kgs/day more than the lowest pen or 0.33kgs/day greater than the average of the class. But to then to end up being placed to 2nd and 4th to the Champion Pen against was an incredible day for us. We are hoping COVID doesn’t cancel any of this year’s presentations as we believe these very industry relevant events are an excellent avenue for like minded breeders to congregate and celebrate the success of breeders achievements.
Ben receiving our first ever Paddock to Palate ribbon placing 2nd in ADWG & Ben with the Varidel Family
It was icing on the cake to have clients such as the Varidel family who also were first time entrants, winning the eating quality section of Class 37 with Texas progeny and Aurelian Pastoral taking out the Champion Pen of Class 38!
Beef Australia – 2021 ANZ National Beef Carcase Competition – Rockhampton QLD
Hayden Chappel, Mike MacCue, Ben & Ben Hiscox classing Beef Australia Steers
After our success in the 2018 Beef Australia Carcase trial we entered more pens last year and we were thrilled with our results. Texas Angus had 2 pens that were the equal highest for marble score in the Grain Fed Export 300-420kg Class and this class is always the biggest and most highly competitive of Australia’s largest Feeder and Carcase Competition and this result is certainly providing us our genetics that are the bottom end of our herd are performing extremely well against some of Australia’s best producers around the country that can select their highest performing animals. They were competing against a class size of 285 animals.
We also had 2 pens in the Class 5 Grainfed Heavy Trade 260 – 340kgs that were equal second for the highest marble score out of 138 animals across that came from all over Australia. One of these pens placed 7th in their class just missing a ribbon.