Ced and Rowena Wise, centre, receive congratulations earlier this evening for winning the 100-day no HGP grainfed class from sponsors Bridget and Kendall Bassingthwaighte, Yabba Pastoral Co, Kingaroy, right, and RNA chief beef steward Gary Noller

ENTRIES displaying good all-round performance for carcase quality, eating quality, growth rate and yield potential excelled in Brisbane Show’s annual Paddock to Palate performance classes, results from which were announced earlier tonight.

The 2024 competition attracted a near-record 777 commercial cattle entered in pens of seven by breeders from across Queensland, the northern half of NSW and as far south as Tasmania, across 100-day grainfed, 100-day grainfed (no HGP), 70 day grainfed and Wagyu divisions.

A wide spectrum of breed types and their crosses were represented in the first three, with Charolais cross, Angus and Charolais x Angus topping the overall results in the non-Wagyu classes.

The three conventional grainfed classes were fed again this year at JBS Beef City near Toowoomba, while the longfed Wagyu class was fed at Smithfield Cattle Co’s Sapphire feedlot Goondiwindi.

An audience of around 350 was in attendance at last night’s awards dinner, which forms the traditional first nighttime event for the Brisbane Sh0w each year.

100-day grainfed (no HGP) class

Reflecting a trend towards more no-HGP programs in some commercial feedlots, this year’s 100-day No-HGP class attracted 252 entries, the largest of all competition classes.

The overall champion pen, combining results from feedlot weightgain, carcase quality, lean meat yield and MSA eating quality, was a group of Angus steers entered by well known artificial breeding consultant and bull breeder Ced Wise, who with his wife Rowena (both pictured above) run Glenisa Cattle Co, Glen Aplin, near the Queensland NSW border.

While the seven Glenisa steers did not come first in any of the key divisions (eating quality, carcase performance and feedlot weightgain), it was their good all-round performance that delivered the overall class win.

The milk and two-tooth steers averaged 356kg at around 14-15 months at slaughter, producing daily gains averaging around 2.25kg/day. P8 and rib fat averaged 15mm and 8mm, with marbling averaging 2.43, the equal second highest in the class. The marbling result and low oss helped push MSA index scores to average 63, the third highest in the class.  Eye muscle areas averaged 86.71sqm, delivering an estimated lean meat yield of 59.5pc.

Exhibitor Ced Wise said the steers were the reject calves from his 250 registered cow Angus seedstock program, which are selected for the Queensland market with a focus on growth, adequate fat cover and bone.

Runners-up in the 100-day no HGP class was another pen of Angus steers, exhibited by youngsters Rosie, Will and Lachie Mayne, Texas Angus, Warialda NSW.

Among the sub-categories, champion individual carcase was a Charolais steer carcase from a pen enterend by Simon and Myriam Daley, Beilba, Queensland,

Reserve individual champion was a Red Angus x composite steer entered as part of a team from Womblebank Cattle Co, Mitchell, western Queensland.

The best eating quality award went to a Hereford entry from the Nixon family, Devoncourt Herefords, Drillham Qld, which also produced the class’s top MSA eating quality index score of 67.04, having produced a marbling score of 3 and oss of 110.

Highest individual weightgain in the feedlot went to an Angus entry from Raff Angus, King Island, Tasmania, with a gain of 2.79kg/day. Top three weight gain winner was a pen of Shorthorns from G Morgan & Co, Condamine, averaging 2.45kg, followed by the Raff team averaging 2.42kg and a Texas Angus group, 2.38kg.

100-day grainfed class

The 100-day grainfed class attracted a health 217 cattle this year, representing 31 mobs of seven steers.

Champion overall pen was a line of Charolais x crosses out of Brahman crossbred females, exhibited by Greg and Kal Kelly, Juandah Grazing, Guluguba Queensland.

The steers were home bred and backgrounded at home before feedlot entry. Most of the Kelly’s turnoff has historically gone as light feeders to a Woolworths contract holder for 70-day grainfeeding, but they proved more than capable of taking another 40 days on feed in the Brisbane result.

They proved to be good all-round performers, finishing third in the weightgain section, with an average ADG of 2.6kg, delivering average carcase weights of 365kg from mostly milk-tooth steers.

The steers excelled for eye muscle area and lean meat yield, producing EMAs averaging 104, and and estimated yield of 61.65pc. Marbling scores averaged 1, and the MSA index for the group averaged 55.14.

JBS Northern chief operating officer Brendan Tatt, left, with 100-day class winners Greg and Kal Kelly, Juandah Grazing, Guluguba, and sponsor Olivia Santa from Farmbot

Runner-up in the class was another Angus pen from Ced Wise’s Glenisa Cattle Co, brothers to the winners of the 100-day no HGP class mentioned above.

Among the class’s sub-categories, champion individual carcase was an Angus steers from Hamish McIntyre, McIntyre Agriculture, St George Queensland, one of the members of a pen placed fourth overall.

Reserve champion individual was a Charbray steer entered as part of a team by Keddstock Pty Ltd, Yuleba, Queensland.

The best eating quality award went to one of the Angus entries from Glenisa, while the class’s top MSA eating quality index score of 60.83 was produced b y a Charolais cross shown by Palgrove Pastoral Co, Bukkalla NSW, having produced a marbling score of 2 and oss of 110.

The feedlot weightgain division was topped by a pen of Angus cross steers from Russell Pastoral Operations, Champion Station, Blackall, averaging 2.755kg/day, with another Russell pen second on 2.71kg.

Highest individual animal weightgain in the feedlot was a dead heat between another Charolais cross entry from Palgrove’s pen, and an Angus cross from Russell Pastoral, both producing gains of 3.16kg/day.

70-day grainfed class

This year’s 70-day domestic grainfed class attracted 112 cattle from 16 exhibitors, producing a memorable win for a Charolais x Angus steer and heifer pen exhibited by the Milner family, Rosedale Livestock Partnership, Blayney NSW.

The milk-tooth entries produced carcase weights averaging 301kg, having gained inn the feedlot at 2.35kgf/day. They produced P8 and rib fat of 11mm/6mm, a marbling score averaging a little below one, and eye muscle of 75sq cm, for an estimated lean meat yield of 60.55pc. The MSA index score was 54.87.

JBS Northern chief operating officer Brendan Tatt, left, and RNA chief beef steward Gary Noller congratulate 70-day grainfed class winners James Milner and his partner Genevieve, Rosedale, Blayney NSW

Runners-up in the class were Shorthorns exhibited by G Morgan & Co, Condamine.

Among the class’s sub-categories, champion individual carcase was one of the Shorthorn entries mentioned above from G Morgan and Co, with another Angus cross entry from Russell Pastoral Operations reserve.

The best eating quality award went to an Angus steer, pat of a pen exhibited by Ascot Cattle Co, Warwick Queensland which produced an MSA index score of 59.41, having produced a marbling score of 2 and oss of 120.

The feedlot weightgain division was topped by a pen of Santa Gertrudis steers from Gyranda Pastoral Co, Theodore Queensland, averaging 2.54kg/day, with a pen of Devoncourt Herefords second, averaging 2.53kg.

Highest individual animal weightgain in the feedlot was one of the Gyranda Santa steers, averaging 3.24kg/day.

• See today’s separate report on the RNA Longfed Wagyu Challenge