This pen of six Santa Gertrudis steers from Yarrawonga took first place in the 70 day trade class (Class 38) with an average daily weight gain (ADG) of 3.263kg.
THE results of the feedlot performance section of the 2020 RNA Paddock to Palate Competition have been released today, with Santa Gertrudis entries from the Bassingthwaighte Family from Yarrawonga at Wallumbilla, Gyranda Pastoral Company from Theodore and Jabinda Pastoral Company from Tambo featuring prominently among the winners.
Purebred Santa entries from each of the three exhibitors also clean-swept the first thee places of HGP-free section.
Charolais Angus cross entries from Palgrove Pastoral Company from Dalveen and Angus cattle from McIntyre Agriculture from St George also won classes, while Austpec Pastoral from Drillham took the top honours in the Wagyu weight gain section.
Sponsored by JBS Australia, the competition has a total prize pool of almost $65,000, making it the nation’s richest beef competition of its kind.
Yarrawonga entries claimed first place in the 70 day trade class (Class 38) with an average daily weight gain (ADG) of 3.263kg, and second in the 100 day Hormone Growth Promotant (HGP) free export class (Class 40) with an ADG of 2.337kg.
They also took third place in the 100 day export class (Class 37) with their cattle tipping the scales with an ADG of 2.797kg.
A pen of six Santa Gertrudis steers from Gyranda Pastoral Company from Theodore won the HGP free class (Class 40) with an Average Daily Gain of 2.419kg, with one of the six recording ADG of 3.26kg to claim the highest individual weight gain award.
Entering Santa Gertrudis cattle into the competition also paid off for Jabinda Pastoral Company from Tambo, after their pen of six won Class 37 with an ADG of 2.856kg.
Palgrove Pastoral Company from Dalveen, who won the overall pen of six in Class 37 last year, secured the highest individual weight gain award after one of their Charolais Angus X recorded an ADG of 3.27kg.
McIntyre Agriculture was also a standout entrant in the competition, winning the highest individual weight gain for Class 38 with one of their Angus cattle (ADG: 3.61kg) and placing second for their pen of six with an ADG of 3.108kg.
The St George based company also entered Wagyu X cattle in the 2019/20 370 day Wagyu Challenge (Class 39), with their pens of six claiming second and third place with ADGs of 1.116kg and 1.101kg respectively.
Austpec Pastoral from Drillham took top honours in Class 39, securing first place with their Wagyu X pen with an ADG of 1.239kg. One of those cattle weighed in with an ADG of 1.39kg to win the highest individual weight gain award.
RNA Beef Committee Chair Gary Noller said it was pleasing to see 819 head of cattle entered in the competition this year.
“Our exhibitors suffered one of the worst droughts in Australian history last year, but many still held cattle over for our competition which is a real testament to not only their resilience but also to how valuable they see this competition in benchmarking their cattle,” he said.
“The health and welfare of the cattle at both the Beef City (Classes 37,38 and 40) and Sapphire (Class 39) feedlots has been phenomenal, with the cattle gaining well across all four classes.”
The Paddock to Palate Competition presented by JBS Australia has now moved into the second phase, which is carcass judging.
Competition classes 37, 38 and 40 are three phased comprising best aggregate weight gain, carcass and MSA eating quality, while the 2019/20 Wagyu Challenge (Class 39) is four phased finishing in a beef taste off judged by some of Queensland’s top chefs.
The exhibitors who poll the highest aggregate scores across all phases of the four classes will be awarded the overall prizes in August.
RESULTS
Class 37 – Rabobank Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Steers (100 Day)
1st – Jabinda Pastoral Company – Santa Gertrudis X – ADG 2.856kg – Tambo Qld
2nd – Juandah Grazing – Charbray – ADG 2.832kg – Miles Qld
3rd – D & AD Bassingthwaighte & Co – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.797kg – Wallumbilla Qld
2nd – Juandah Grazing – Charbray – ADG 2.832kg – Miles Qld
3rd – D & AD Bassingthwaighte & Co – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.797kg – Wallumbilla Qld
Class 37 – Australian Brahman Breeders Association Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st – Palgrove Pastoral Company – Charolais Angus X – ADG 3.27kg – Dalveen Qld
Class 38 – Elanco Animal Health Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Steers (70 Day)
1st – D & AD Bassingthwaighte & Co – Santa Gertrudis X – ADG 3.263kg – Wallumbilla Qld
2nd – McIntyre Agriculture – Angus – ADG 3.108kg – St George Qld
3rd – Gyranda Pastoral Company – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 3.038kg – Theodore Qld
2nd – McIntyre Agriculture – Angus – ADG 3.108kg – St George Qld
3rd – Gyranda Pastoral Company – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 3.038kg – Theodore Qld
Class 38 – Elanco Animal Health Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st – McIntyre Agriculture – Angus – ADG 3.61kg – St George Qld
Class 39 (Wagyu Challenge) – Smithfield Cattle Co Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Steers (370 Day)
1st – Austpec Pastoral – Wagyu X – ADG 1.239kg – Drillham Qld
2nd – McIntyre Agriculture – Wagyu X – ADG 1.116kg – St George Qld
3rd – McIntyre Agriculture – Wagyu X – ADG 1.101kg – St George Qld
2nd – McIntyre Agriculture – Wagyu X – ADG 1.116kg – St George Qld
3rd – McIntyre Agriculture – Wagyu X – ADG 1.101kg – St George Qld
Class 39 (Wagyu Challenge) – Performance Feeds Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st – Austpec Pastoral – Wagyu X – ADG 1.39kg – Drillham Qld
Class 40 – Rabobank Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain-Fed Steers (100 Day HGP Free)
1st – Gyranda Pastoral Company – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.419kg – Theodore Qld
2nd – D & AD Bassingthwaighte & Co – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.337kg – Wallumbilla Qld
3rd – Jabinda Pastoral – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.277kg – Tambo Qld
2nd – D & AD Bassingthwaighte & Co – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.337kg – Wallumbilla Qld
3rd – Jabinda Pastoral – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 2.277kg – Tambo Qld
Class 40 – Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st – Gyranda Pastoral Company – Santa Gertrudis – ADG 3.26kg – Theodore Qld
Congratulations Santa Gertrudis cattle breeders what a great outcome you should all be very proud of your achievements and significant weight gains
I am working on a project requiring bulls we will certainly be looking for Santa Bulls