Heifer wins Gympie Carcass Classic champion

Despite up-and-down seasonal conditions the Wyllie family have managed to produce the grand Gympie Carcass Classic champion.

It was made even more rewarding when Marianne and Chris Wyllie’s only heifer entry trumped the steers to take top carcase honours for the first time in several years of the competition’s history.

The impressive female carcase recorded a very even fat cover of five millimetres on the rump and five millimetres on the rib area as well.

“The sire of the grand champion was an imported french embryo Bazadais bull and the dam was a commercial Bazadais/Simmental-cross cow,” Mrs Wyllie said.

The Charlie Cotter Allrounder grand champion carcase with Nolan’s meat grader and committee member Emma Franz. Photo: Supplied

The impressive female carcase recorded a very even fat cover of five millimetres on the rump and five millimetres on the rib area as well.

“The sire of the grand champion was an imported french embryo Bazadais bull and the dam was a commercial Bazadais/Simmental-cross cow,” Mrs Wyllie said.

The Wyllie family, Gympie have been entering in the Gympie Carcass Classic competition for more than 20 years and have previous been awarded reserve grand champion carcase.

It was a glorious send-off for the Wyllie’s Bazadais/Simmental-cross heifer who was culled from the family’s commercial breeding herd due to her dam constantly jumping fences on their property.

“She was a beautiful heifer with all the traits we like in our cattle, but as good cattle producers know you have to be very strict on temperament,” Mrs Wyllie said.

Jan Cotter with Charlie Cotter Allrounder trophy winners Marianne and Chris Wyllie and major sponsor Dan Sullivan. Photo: Peter Lowe

Best Bazadais

Overall, the grand champion heifer weighed 291 kilograms at entry to Adrian and Jenny Bucknell’s Gowanlock Feedlot and at final weigh out, after 75 days on a Goldmix Stockfeeds feedlot ration, of 439 kilograms plus recorded an average daily weight gain of 1.52 kilograms-a-day. The champion heifer carcase also recorded a 60.82 percentage meat yield and a hot standard carcase weight of 267 kilograms, plus an eye muscle area of 94 centimetres squared.

In addition to their stud cattle operation, the Wyllie family sell their commercial cattle beef direct off-farm to a variety of loyal customers.

“We provide a leaner style of beef for our customers by utilising our high carcase yielding and well-muscled Bazadais genetics,” Mrs Wyllie said.

The Wyllie family also entered two steers in the domestic trade class of the Gympie Carcass Classic competition.

Gympie Carcass Classic Results

A total of 108 commercial steers and heifers were entered in this year’s Gympie Carcass Classic competition.

Overall, total entries were down on last year due to the good fortune of rain resulting in the early turn-off of weaner steers and cull heifers, which reduced the available amount of correct weight cattle for the carcase competition.

“It’s still great to receive such solid support from beef producers in the same year Beef Australia 2018 was held,” Gympie Carcass Classic sponsorship coordinator Hayden Pratt said.

It was also the first time in the competition’s history heifers have won all three top places in most suitable carcase for the domestic trade class.

Assessment of best 6 carcasses at the start of classic

  • 1st – Brian Kaddatz
  • 2nd – Kirstie Orphant
  • 3rd – Sally Bekker
  • 3rd – Emma Franz

Assessment of best 6 carcasses at the finish of classic

  • 1st – Emma Franz
  • 2nd – Georgie Plowman
  • 3rd – Leon Franz

Allrounder assessment (6 highest scoring) at start of classic

  • 1st – Mick Seeney
  • 2nd – Abby Nowland
  • 3rd – Peter Aisthorpe

Allrounder assessment (6 highest scoring) at finish of classic

  • 1st – Emma Franz
  • 2nd – Mick Seeney
  • 3rd – Neville Zerner

Best junior (under 18 years) live cattle assessor of selected 8 head

  • 1st – Riley Orphant
  • 2nd – Chloe Plowman
  • 3rd – Nateesha Taylor

Most accurate live cattle assessor of selected 8 head

  • 1st – Neville Zerner
  • 2nd – Sally Bekker
  • 3rd – Amy Brosnan

Champion junior live cattle assessor (under 18 years)

  • 1st – Kyle Andreassen
  • 2nd – Abbey Ward

Champion live cattle assessor

  • 1st – Mick Seeney
  • 2nd – Doug Bothams

Champion interschool competition

  • Gympie State High School – Entry 51

Carcass with the largest eye muscle area

  • L & M Aisthorpe – Entry 5 – 98cm2

Best weight gain in feedlot (%)

  • 1st – BJ Denham Entry – 37
  • 2nd – R & G Sippel Entry – 91
  • 3rd – E & M Cooke Entry- 23

Highest index score

  • D & H Pratt Entry- Entry- 75 (63.27)

Weight for age and maturity

  • R & G Sippel Entry- 91

Encouragement award

  • Ray Zerner

Highest dressing percentage

  • D & H Pratt Entry 78 – 62.7pc

Most successful first time exhibitor

  • BJ Denham

The Dylan Dalton cattleman’s choice

  • Main Creek Pastoral Entry- 118

High point Limousin

  • D & H Pratt – Entry 75 – 297 Points

High point Bazadais

  • C & M Wyllie – Entry 109 – 315 Points

High point Droughtmaster

  • Vale View Droughtmasters – Entry 105 – 259 Points

Best aggregate of 3 carcasses

  • 1st – D & H Pratt – 238 Points
  • 2nd – BJ Denham – 230.5 Points
  • 3rd – E & M Cooke – 217 Points
  • 3rd – R & K Orphant – 217 Points

Most profitable animal

  • 1st – BJ Denham – Entry 37
  • 2nd – R & G Sippel – Entry 91
  • 3rd – C & M Wyllie – Entry 109

Most suitable carcass for the domestic market (opposite sex)

  • T & P Black Entry- 12

Most suitable carcass for the domestic market

  • 1st – D & H Pratt – Entry 78 (Heifer)
  • 2nd –C & M Wyllie – Entry 109 (Heifer)
  • 3rd – L & M Aisthorpe – Entry 5 (Heifer)

The Charlie Cotter Allrounder

  • 1st – C & M Wyllie – Entry 109 (Heifer)
  • 2nd – R & G Sippel – Entry 91 (Steer)