Shorthorns have made it a Borthwick double, taking out the prestigious carcass competition award for the second year running.
The best team of three purebred steers on the hoof and the hook competition has been running for more than 60 years, and this was the eighth win for the Shorthorn breed.
This year’s winning group was exhibited by Finley High School, Finley, NSW, with their own bred steer; Yanco Agricultural High School, Yanco, NSW, with a steer bred by Kingsley Vale stud; and Longerenong College, Longerenong, with a Marschay Shorthorn-bred steer.
A combined hoof and hook score of 319.68 points placed the Shorthorns well ahead of the Angus team in second place on 306.82, and the Beef Shorthorns in third on 305.94.
On the hook, the Shorthorn team included Longerenong College’s champion export carcass, which was also champion schools steer, bred by Marschay Shorthorns of Dean.
The 546kg steer dressed at 57 per cent and had the second highest carcass score in the competition at 91.13, including full points for saleable meat yield with an eye muscle area of 97sq cm, and a Meat Standards Australia index of 61.13.
Marschay principal Scott McKay said the two in a row win showed the consistency of the breed, and pointed to the high MSA index of the steer he bred.
“The steer had meat in the right places, where the higher priced cuts come from, and when DEXA (objective carcass measurement) comes in that is what we will be paid for,” he said.
The steer was sired by Marschay Holmes, which also sired the highest-ranked shorthorn steer in the carcass competition at the Sydney Royal Show this year.