Three of Australia’s best known beef carcase competitions are reaching historic milestones this year, proving that the delivery of feedlot and carcase data provides a powerful and enduring education platform that can help breeders lift the performance of their cattle.

The Gympie Carcase Classic, long regarded as the biggest and most prestigious domestic carcase competition in the country, celebrated its 25-year milestone last week with a results briefing and dinner on Thursday.

This year’s Gympie Carcase Classic was again dominated by European terminal cross genetics.

It also highlighted the fact that heifers carrying the right genetic package can perform every bit as good as their steer siblings in the grainfed domestic market segment.

More than 100 entries were received from across southern and Central Queensland and northern NSW (see this morning’s separate report).

Meanwhile, the Warwick (southern Queensland) carcase competition will stake its claim as the longest-running carcase competition in Australia next month when its fiftieth consecutive competition is held.

Further south, the popular NSW Beef Spectacular Feedback trial is again in preparation phase, with entries due to go on feed at Jindalee feedlot on September 21, highlighting the popularity of such competitions across the continent.

Half century for nation’s oldest carcase comp

Celebrating 50 years of competition, this year’s Warwick Carcase competition organised by the Warwick Show & Rodeo prime cattle committee, will field eight grass and grainfed classes for domestic trade, heavy supermarket and export weight cattle.

The competition will carry $15,000 in cash product prizes, plus trophies.  Championship awards will be made in three weight ranges for domestic trade, heavyweight and grainfed divisions.

Entries close on Friday August 31, with live animal judging on Thursday September 13 and carcase judging on Saturday, September 15. All the entries will be processed at the John Dee plant at Warwick, and purchased weight and grade by John Dee and Warwick Meats.

Live judges this year are Neil Goetsch and Peter Healy, while carcases will be judged by John Dee’s Warren Stiff.

Exhibitors and other interested stakeholders can view the carcases on September 15 from 2.30pm, before a beef dinner that evening from 6pm at Warwick showgrounds.

• Entries and inquiries can be made via David McIvor at Warwick Show Office 07 4661 9060 any Warwick stock agent.

Interest grows for Beef Spectacular

The NSW Beef Spectacular feedback trial is entering its fifth year, and has developed into one of the most informative feedlot and carcase trials in southern Australia.

The trial continues to deliver strong and informative feedback to producers using leading technology at the Teys Australia Wagga plant, in conjunction with NSW Department of Primary Industries beef cattle officers.

Feeding will again take place at Teys’ Jindalee Feedlot in southern NSW, with each team of five milk-tooth steers due to enter the feedlot on September 21. A set of entry specs is provided to ensure steers are most likely to reach desired market end-points (entry specifications can be downloaded here).

To avoid on-going costs to exhibitors during the event, Teys buys the competition steers at delivery. Free freight has been organised for producers to get steers to the feedlot. Trucks will run from North, East and Southern points of NSW with pick-ups at centrally-located saleyard points along main routes. Conditions apply and more information can be obtained from the event coordinators, listed below.

Since its inception in 2009, more than 600 steers have passed through the 112-day programs at Jindalee feedlot and the Wagga plant chillers, helping producers learn how to better tailor their breeding and management to deliver higher profitably for themselves, the lotfeeder and the abattoir.

Cattle in the past have been entered from as far north as Queensland, South to Werribee in Victoria and west to Wilcannia. Some 20 different breeds and their crosses have been represented in the competition.

Each exhibitor this year will again receive a bound copy of information including photos of each live animal pre and post-feeding and of the eye muscle, and statistical feedback from induction through feedlot performance to the individual and group carcase results.

“The trial is as much an educational process for producers as it is about the feedback. They will be guided and judged on how their cattle present cattle to the feedlot, how they meet the systems in place in entering the feedlot and how their cattle perform,” an event spokesman said.

A mid-term field day will be on December 3 allowing owners and others to monitor the progress of their cattle a month prior to processing in mid-January.

An award presentation dinner will be held in a central NSW location on Friday, February 1 next year.