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Palgrove Charolais, David Crombie and Henschell Wagyu take top honours in 2026 Paddock to Palate

Beef Central 07/08/2026

Callan, Simon and Myriam Daley and Gemma and Ben Noller celebrate success with Palgrove Charolais at the 2026 Paddock to Palate awards.

PALGROVE Charolais owners Ben and Gemma Noller and Simon and Myriam Daley, David Crombie’s Aurelian Pastoral Co and Len and Darren Henschell from Moola near Dalby have claimed the major championship awards at the 2026 RNA Paddock to Palate competition, presented at a gala dinner at the Ekka on Thursday night.

Just 12 months after forming a new partnership to acquire Palgrove Charolais, Ben and Gemma Noller and Simon and Myriam Daley celebrated in emphatic style after their Charolais cross entries took first and second place overall in not one but two of the competition’s four major championships – the 120-day HGP export class and the 120-day HGP-free export class.

David Crombie’s Aurelian Pastoral Company, from Mountside near Warwick, also added to an impressive run of success in the prestigious competition, taking overall honours in the 100-day trade section with his Angus/Ultrablack cattle to secure a fourth major Paddock to Palate championship since first entering the competition in 2018.

Fergus Russell, David Crombie and Allan Warby.

Len and Darren Henschell from Moola, near Dalby, a father-and-son team with a background in meat processing at the Oakey abattoir, proved that scale is no barrier to success by winning the overall Wagyu championship with a herd of just 100 Wagyu breeders.

Father and son Wagyu breeding team Darren and Len Henschell.

The 2026 RNA Paddock to Palate competition, presented by JBS Australia, attracted a record 1358 entries. Weight gain phase winners were announced at Beef City Feedlot on June 16, with the carcae, MSA eating quality and aggregate overall awards presented at last night’s gala dinner at the Brisbane Showgrounds during the Ekka.

In a new class introduced in 2026, the Wagyu Crossbred Challenge, the overall winners were Werner Rural Investments from NSW.

Qld Primary Industries minister Tony Perrett

The iconic Brisbane Show is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Addressing the presentation dinner, Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said the Ekka had brought Queenslanders together for a century and a half, showcasing the best of agriculture and regional communities while helping connect city and country.

“As a beef producer, I know first hand the success of our industry is built on the passion, innovation, and determination of Queensland producers and the regional communities they support,” Mr Perrett said.

“As we celebrate 150 years of the Ekka, it is fitting to recognize the generations of beef producers whose determination, resilience, innovation and dedication have helped build Queensland’s agricultural success.”

Terry Nolan

Addressing last night’s dinner, Queensland beef producer and processor Terry Nolan said the event had always been far more than a cattle competition, describing it as one of Australia’s most important educational platforms for the beef industry.

Mr Nolan said judging had always been about helping people learn, encouraging discussion and validating decisions through objective carcase results, while the competition had played a key role in advancing industry understanding of what makes profitable beef cattle.

Beef Central journalist and The Week in Beef podcast co-host Lydia Burton was the MC for the 2026 Paddock to Palate Awards dinner.

He also reflected on early modern carcase competitions in Queensland during the late 1980s, paying tribute to those who helped develop the concept has ultimately evolved into the RNA’s Paddock to Palate competition.

He said the Ekka’s strength lay in its ability to bring people together to learn from one another, share ideas, embrace innovation and foster the next generation of cattle judges and beef industry leaders.

  • Beef Central will publish further details from the competition in coming days, see list of major awards presented last night below.

2026 RNA Paddock to Palate overall results

Class 37 – Export, 120 days

37 – Overall winner, The Sturrock Trophy

  1. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross
  2. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross
  3. Simon and Myriam Daley, Charolais cross
  4. Littles Livestock, Charbray cross Droughtmaster
  5. Rosedale Livestock Partnership, Charolais cross

37B – Pen of Six Carcase

  1. Littles Livestock, Charbray cross Droughtmaster
  2. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross
  3. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross

 37B Champion Carcase

  1. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross

37B Reserve Champion Carcase

  1. Hinz Grazing, Shorthorn Santa cross

37C – MSA Eating Quality

  1. Glenmore Livestock, Angus cross Angus
  2. McIntyre Agriculture, Angus
  3. Minnamurra Pastoral company, Speckle Park cross

37C Highest Individual Index Score

  1. Simon and Myriam Daley, Charolais cross
  2. Glenmore Livestock, Angus cross Angus
  3. Glenmore Livestock, Angus cross Angus

 

Class 38 – Trade, 100 days

38 – Overall winner, Ken Crotty OAM Trophy

  1. Aurelian Pastoral Co, Angus/Ultrablack cross
  2. Drynan Family – Esk, Charolais cross
  3. Juandah Grazing, Charolais cross
  4. Bellbird Pastoral Company, Santa Gertrudis cross
  5. Jindalee Herefords, Hereford

38B – Pen of Six Carcase

  1. Drynan Family – Esk, Charolais cross
  2. Aurelian Pastoral Co, Angus/Ultrablack cross
  3. WM & KL Burton, Composite

38B Champion Carcase

  1. Mills Family, Black Simmental

38B Reserve Champion Carcase 38B

  1. Merilba South Devons, Red South Devon

38C – MSA Eating Quality Competition

  1. Rosedale Livestock Partnership, Rosedale Black
  2. Juandah Grazing, Charolais cross
  3. Campbell Family Trust, Angus

38C Highest Individual Index Score

  1. M & J Millner

 

Class 39 – Wagyu Fullblood and Purebred, 387-day grain fed

39 – Overall winner, Wagyu Challenge

  1. LA & DL Henschell
  2. Hancock Agriculture
  3. Hancock Agriculture
  4. Hamilton Park Pastoral Company
  5. Guy Fawkes River Wagyu

39B – Pen of Six Carcase

  1. Hancock Agriculture
  2. Hancock Agriculture
  3. LA & DL Henschell

39B Champion Carcase

  1. Hancock Agriculture

39B Reserve Champion Carcase

  1. Bonyi Grazing

39C – Carcase Value Competition

  1. Hancock Agriculture
  2. LA & DL Henschell
  3. Hamilton Park Pastoral Company

39C Highest Scoring Carcase Value Animal

  1. LA & DL Henschell

39D Beef Taste-Off

  1. Jonathon Elphick
  2. Bonyi Grazing
  3. LA & DL Henschell

 

40 – HGP Free Export, 120 days

40 – Overall winner

  1. Palgrove Charolais Pty Ltd, Charolais cross
  2. Palgrove Charolais Pty Ltd, Charolais cross
  3. Keddstock Pty Ltd, Charolais cross
  4. G Morgan & Co, Shorthorn
  5. G Morgan & Co, Shorthorn

40B – Pen of Six Carcase

  1. Palgrove Charolais, Charolais cross
  2. (tie) Palgrove Charolais & Keddstock, Charolais cross

40B Champion Carcase

  1. Campbell Family Trust, Angus

40B Reserve Champion Carcase

  1. Campbell Family Trust, Angus

40C – MSA Eating Quality

  1. Ogden Pastoral Company Pty Ltd, Angus
  2. Ogden Pastoral Company Pty Ltd, Angus,
  3. Glynn Agriculture Pty Ltd, Angus

40C Highest Individual Carcase Value Animal

  1. Glenmore Livestock, Angus cross Angus
  2. Ogden Pastoral Company, Angus
  3. Glynn Agriculture Pty Ltd, Angus

 

Wagyu Crossbred Challenge, 387-day grain fed (new class for 2026).

41 – Overall winners

  1. Werner Rural Investments
  2. Werner Rural Investments
  3. Wright Pastoral NSW

41B – Pen of Six Carcase

  1. Werner Rural Investments
  2. Werner Rural Investments
  3. Wright Pastoral NSW

41B Champion Carcase

  1. Wright Pastoral NSW

41B Reserve Champion Carcase

  1. Werner Rural Investments

41C – Carcase Value

  1. Werner Rural Investments
  2. Werner Rural Investments
  3. Leeton Grazing

41C Highest Scoring Carcase Value Animal

  1. Werner Rural Investments

41D – Beef Taste-Off

  1. Hewitt Pastoral Enterprises
  2. Wright Pastoral NSW
  3. McIntyre Agriculture

 

 

 

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  1. Jono Elphick
    07/08/2026

    To the editor,
    Just to clarify to the readers the Winner of section 39D Wagyu taste off, the animal was breed and entered by Sunnyside Wagyu, Inverell

    Congratulations to all the place getters

    Jono Elphick

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