BEEF Week’s led-steer competition and subsequent carcase evaluation, sponsored by The Land newspaper and Northern Meat Co-operative Company, is a cornerstone of the festivities at Casino later this month.
Colloquially called the “hoof and hook” competition, it is the business of preparing cattle for display in Casino’s main street, with judge Matt Spry, Tamworth, bringing his expertise from judging Melbourne last year and Sydney this year to the streets of Casino.
The O’Reilly family of Iron Pot Pastoral, Kyogle, are preparing three steers for the competition and after the recent Bonalbo and Grafton shows, when their Limousin/Murray Grey “Rango” was awarded reserve champion, their hopes are high.
The 12-month-old steer is expected to weigh into the middleweight class at 500kg, with about 8-10mm fat.
Thanks to the near-constant after-school attention from their youngest daughter Olivia, Rango’s coat is guaranteed to shine.
The family’s 10-month-old Angus, “Erick” – named by Olivia after a funny robot on Australia’s Got Talent – will be entered in the middleweight division and is expected to weigh 430kg, while the O’Reilly’s Murray Grey/Charbray, “Butch”, which was crowned champion steer at Bonalbo show will enter the heavyweight division at 500kg plus.
The trick to preparation involves plenty of protein with enough roughage in the form of Rhodes hay to balance out the richness of the grain.
Casino High School agricultural students will present a tidy line-up of Charolais steers from the school’s new stud – which sourced genetics from Jeremy Cruickshank, Piora.
Paul Neal, “Runnymede”, Backmede, said his 15-year-old son Jonathon, a student in the program, had embraced the idea of caring for cattle like nobody’s business.
“He’s become what I would call a cattle whisperer,” said the proud father. “He vaccinates our herd of 200 Droughtmaster cross cows and he’s so calm that he does a better job by doing it all himself.”
Mr Neal said Jonathon embraced the school’s led-steer program so completely that getting up at 4am two mornings in a row to attend recent shows at Bonalbo and Woodenbong hardly worried him at all.