THE best of the dairy and beef cattle breeds made for an impressive cattle showing at this year’s Royal Hobart Show.
The Goods Shed on Macquarie Wharf was filled with cattle over the weekend prepping and glamming up for showing over Thursday and Friday last week.
Green Glory Holstein Stud at Broadmarsh took this year’s Interbreed Supreme Champion Dairy Cow with Solomon Cinderella, a five-year-old Holstein.
The impressive dairy cow was praised for its overall depth in the rear with dairy judge Rachel Millhouse admiring the way the cow walked.
Ms Millhouse from Riana in the North West runs Southwick Millrob Holsteins and Dialview Holsteins.
She has been judging for 20 years, usually Holsteins.
This was not Solomon Cinderella’s first rodeo, having won Reserve Champion Cow at the Hobart Show in 2021.
Green Glory’s Sidekick Josie, a three-year-old Holstein, snapped up the Interbreed Dairy Cow with Best Udder.
Ben Geard is a fourth-generation farmer of Green Glory’s Holstein stud who have been breeding Holsteins for more than 60 years.
“The awards won today are a great justification for the breeding program we have at home,” Mr Geard said.
Green Glory also took home the Interbreed Junior Dairy Heifer under 12 months with Woodman Rhianna and the Interbreed Dairy Junior Pair and Best Pair with two of their Holsteins.
Mount Cygnet Dairy stud from Cygnet snuck in under the spotlight winning the Interbreed Dairy Heifer over 12 months with Vera, with their Holstein described to be a balanced heifer with tremendous balance.
Mount Cygnet Dairy has been operating since 1953 and run 60 Angus cows and breed Holsteins and Jerseys.
For the Interbreed Beef section this year the show welcomed Sapphire Halliday, from Waterford in Victoria, to judge alongside Peter Davie of Guilford Poll Hereford stud in Ouse.
Deciding this year’s Supreme Champion Beef Cow had many on the edge of their seats with Ms Halliday and Mr Davie taking no decision lightly.
Described to be an impressive showing, the judges stressed the quality in both the Junior Heifer Beef Champion and the Junior Bull Champion as they went head-to-head for the Supreme title.
For its “great class”, Cloverside Murray Grey’s 14 month old Murray Grey, Zephr T2 just scraped in winning the Interbreed Supreme Champion Beef Cow.
Zephr T2 was described as a beautiful heifer with great thickness, body and beautiful neck extension.
“This heifer has a lot to offer for breeding. She has a beautiful udder development for 14 months of age. You’ve got to credit the breeder in the age and capacity and everything it has to offer,” Ms Halliday said.
Kailtyn Wilton, of Cloverside Murray Greys at Levendale, runs about 50 Murray Greys with 20 breeders.
She said winning the Supreme title is a point in the right direction for their operation.
“It means you’re going in the right direction when it comes to breeding and we’ll keep going along with these bloodlines for the future,” Ms Wilton said.
Pine Park Charolais took out the Interbreed Senior Beef Cow Champion with Roxie, a three-year-old cow with her first calf at six months old.
“She has a ripping calf at foot. She has a great udder attachment and walks around the ring really well. Smooth shoulder with a good hip to pin area. Plenty of depth to her,” said Ms Halliday.
Roxie also won Senior Charolais Cow at the Launceston Show last month.
The Interbreed Junior Champion Bull was a 13-month-old Charolais of Murton Charolais stud, Turtle.
This was Turtle’s first showing, cleaning up the Interbreed Grand Champion Bull title.
The interbreed Senior Champion Bull was Craggy Island Higland’s four-year-old Highland, Gilbruc.