With an outstanding score of 96.03 points a Charolais cross Angus entered by Calrossy Anglican School, Tamworth has won the grand champion carcase at the 2017 Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza.
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The entry received a perfect score for saleable meat yield, dropped one point for market specifications and only another three for eating quality having a remarkable 480 MSA marbling score for a milk tooth steer.
The steer breed by Alan and Megan Scrivener, Yarrowitch, near Walcha, was also the champion heavyweight carcase.
The dam was a purebred Bonny Brooke Angus female and he was placed second in his class in the led judging.
This year’s competition was the biggest to date with 368 led entries plus 50 unled and seven pens of three – all vying for top carcase honours.
The champion middleweight carcase was an Angus entry from Pymble Ladies College, who scored the second top ranking in the competition, with 95.78 points. This steer was bred by the Laurie family, Knowla Livestock, Gloucester.
Once again the near perfect scores across the judging criteria was boosted by a high marbling score of 480.
A Waverley-bred schools steer challenge entry, prepared by Belltrees Public School, was the champion unled carcase with a score of 93.22 and another school steers challenge exhibit this time prepared by Coolah Central School was awarded the reserve champion heavyweight carcase with a score of 93.13.
In fact one of the highlights of the competition, for major sponsor Waverley Station, was the success in the chiller of a number of the school steers they provided, with 12 steers gaining places and other performing well in the eating quality section of the judging.
The best school steer challenge carcase was prepared by Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College that gained second place in class 15 (heavy middleweight) with a score of 93.45.
St Joseph’s High School Aberdeen exhibited the reserve champion heavy middleweight with their Shorthorn cross entry.
The school also took out the reserve champion lightweight carcase with their Angus entry.
The champion lightweight was a Limousin shown by Wayne Davis, East Kurrajong who also exhibited the reserve champion purebred heifer from his Jaward Limousin stud.