Feedback from overseas
delegates was that they really enjoyed the International Limousin Core
Conference because it contained a wide variety of activities and was very well
organised. Similar comments were made about the two pre-conference tours in WA
and SA/Vic and the post-conference tour in Qld.. Some of the highlights were;
·
The camaraderie between Limousin breeders
from 13 countries
·
Great weather (due to the lack of rain!)
·
The opening ceremony in Melbourne
·
The visit to Tony and Jill Whistler’s
Homestation Limousin Stud at Wangaratta, which was also visited in the 1988 ILC
in Australia. (The Homestation herd is soon to be dispersed)
·
The performance by the Flying Fruit Fly
Circus troupe at Lake Hume Resort
·
The visits to Donna Valley Limousins
where cattle from 10 studs were on display complete with the largest tractor in
Australia and a crocodile which featured in the bush walk
·
The black Limousins at Kensal
·
The visit to Birubi Limousin and Lim-Flex
studs in their brand new cattle yard complex
·
Visit to the War Memorial in Canberra
complete with the Tongan military band
·
A well attended technical conference a
Taronga Zoo which showcased Australian research and provided an update on
developments overseas.
·
The clean sweep of the led steer
competition a Sydney Royal
·
The outstanding showing of 225 Limousins
at Sydney Royal capably judged by David Bondfield
·
The final dinner (despite the blackout
for the first two hours) and especially the performance by the Sydney Childrens
Choir, the launch of “Herd; the history of Limousin in Australia” and the
closing ceremony.
Many thanks to the organising
committee of Max Atkins, Cecile Bourke, Annette Tynan Greg Withers and Peter
Chew who put an enormous amount of work into making sure the Conference was the
great success it was. Many thanks also to the Australian members who helped
organise the pre and post tours, opened their herds to our overseas visitors
and attended the farm visits and dinners to meet and talk with our overseas
visitors. Finally a big thankyou to the
50 exhibitors from most states who took cattle to Sydney Royal to provide a
great showcase of Australian Limousins and also the exhibitors including many
schools which presented almost 60 Limousin steers which were so successful in
the steer show at Sydney
Limousin steers made a clean
sweep of the Sydney Royal Steer Show championships. Champion Schools Steer and
Grand Champion Steer was a black limousin bred by Philip, Margaret and Phillip
Kirk from the Wilworril Limousin Stud at Peak Hill NSW and prepared and shown
by St Johns College of Dubbo NSW.
Reserve Champion Schools
steer was a Limousin bred and donated by Damian and Len Gommers of Mandayen
Limousins of Murray Bridge SA which was exhibited by Billabong High School of
Culcairn NSW
Champion Lightweight Steer
was another steer bred by the Kirk family and exhibited by St Johns College.
This is the first time a Limousin has won the Lightweight division at Sydney.
Champion Middleweight Steer
was a black Limousin bred and exhibited by Annette & Michael Tynan of
Birubi Limousins of Borambola NSW. Reserve Champion Middleweight Steer was an
apricot steer bred by Mount View Orchards Flemington Limousins at Batlow and
exhibited by Ian Robson and Donna Knox.
Champion Heavyweight Limousin
steer was an apricot Limousin bred by Donna Valley Limousins at Holbrook NSW
and exhibited by Brisbane Waters Secondary College, Umina NSW. Reserve Champion
was also a Limousin bred by Charles & Vicky Carmichael’s Timor Limousin
Stud at Coonabarabran and exhibited by St Lawrence’s Central School,
Connabarabran NSW.
In an outstanding exhibition
of Limousin steers Limousins won six of the nine open classes and one of the
three schools classes judged by Jason Strong of Genetic Solutions in Brisbane
The highlight of the ILC Sale
which incorporated the All Black Limousin sale was the sale of White Lakes
Zola’s Shadow for $15,000. The black cow by White Lakes Sire power had a bull
calf by White Lakes Prototype at foot and was purchased by Mark Chapple of
Piralillia Limousins , Kangaroo Valley NSW.
Six of seven joined females
averaged $6917, three of four unjoined females sold to $5000 to average $3667
and two of four bulls averaged $5250. There was a total clearance of 20 enbryos
in five lots to a top of $650 and an average of $560.
Second top priced female was
Willow park Polled Zedelle, the only registered progeny of polled French Pure
sire 1-Way Polled Extra Joyau which sold for $7000 to Mark Watts’ Bernicia Stud
at Patterson NSW.
Top priced bull was Waterford
back in the Black from Hayley Sheehan’s Waterford Stud at Latrobe, Tas, which
sold for $6500 to commercial breeder Ron Rankin of “Torago Park” Cobargo NSW.
All prices are on the web.
The complete Ramornie Limousin
herd of Rick and Sandralyn Tindal has been sold to Len & Damian Gommers’
Mandayen Limousins at Murray Bridge in SA. The private sale included 78
Limousin cows, 32 recipient cows, 48 weaner heifers and 29 weaner bulls and
will make Mandayen one of the largest Limousin studs in Australia.
Copies of the proceedings of
the Technical Conference are available for $20 including postage. Call the ALBS
office if you would like a copy.
Limousin have won the grand
Champion Carcase and the coveted Stan Hill trophy for three steers which is
based entirely on carcase results at Sydney Royal to round off a very
successful Sydney Show for Limousin. The grand Champion Carcase which was also
the Heavyweight Champion carcase was bred by Jordanspring Limousins of Mudgee
and exhibited by St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, NSW. The same combination
also took out Reserve Champion Heavyweight Carcase.
The winning Stan Hill trophy
team which had a combined score of 257 points included steers from Wilworril
Limousins/St Johns College, Jordan Springs Limousin/St Stanislaus College and
Donna Valley Limousins/Brisbane Waters Secondary College.
Champion Schools Steer was
bred by Mandayen Limousins and exhibited by Billabong High School of Culcairn.
Congratulations to all
involved!
Wednesday 19th – Junior Show and Annual
General Meeting of ALBS (4.30 pm)
Thursday 20th April: National Show and Sale, Wodonga,
Vic (catalogue on the web)
21st April: Tanholm Major Reduction Sale on Auctions Plus (catalogue on the
web)
1st – 7th May: Beef 2006 at Rockhampton, Qld
19th – 21st May: National Beef 2006, Bendigo, Vic
27 May;
Tramahler Female Sale, Gympie Qld. (catalogue on the web)
17 June;
Talana Heart of the Herd Female Sale, Kingaroy Qld.
23 June;
Homestation Breeding Female Dispersal Wangaratta Vic
Sydney feature Show Champions will be published next newsletter. See
you at the National Sale on Thursday 20 April.
Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald