The Bassingthwaighte family from Wallumbilla has taken out the major 70-day and 100-day Ekka weight gain ‘Paddock to Palate’ competition with their Santa Gertrudis cattle entries gifting them three wins.
At Grassdale Feedlot near Dalby on Tuesday, Alastair and Andrew Bassingthwaighte won both class 37, 100-day export and class 38, 70-day, trade in the prestigious RNA ‘Paddock to Palate’ competition presented by Mort and Co, with their pens of six Santa Gertrudis recording average daily weight gains (ADG) of 3.118kg and 3.05kg respectively.
The awards didn’t stop there, with the father and son also claiming Class 38’s highest individual weight gain with one of their cows weighing in with an ADG of 3.33kg.
Also sharing in the competition wins was Rob and Donna Atkinson, Atkinson Pastoral Company, Goomeri who took out Class 37’s highest individual weight gain for one of their Angus/Droughtmaster-cross that tipped the scales with an ADG of 3.446kg.
Meanwhile in the Class 39 2017/18 ‘Paddock to Palate’ Wagyu Challenge, Kuro Kin Wagyu based in Merriwa in New South Wales took out phase one with their pen of six F1 Angus recording an ADG of 1.156kg.
Wentworth Cattle Company also went home with a Wagyu Challenge ribbon with their Wagyu F2+ winning Class 39’s highest individual weight gain with an ADG of 1.325kg.
RNA beef cattle committee chair Gary Noller said the ‘Paddock to Palate’ competition was an opportunity for some of the nation’s top beef producers to benchmark their genetics with more than 1000 head of cattle entered this year.
“The cattle are all fed together and processed together, so it takes a lot of the variability out of benchmarking,” Mr Noller said.
“The Bassingthwaighte family have been involved in the Queensland beef industry since the 1950s, so it’s great to see them take home three ribbons - it’s well deserved.
“We were very happy with the weight gains this year, considering the difficult climatic conditions experienced during the feedlot phase with the heat and dust.”
Both the Paddock to Palate competition and Wagyu Challenge now move from weight gain to the second phase - a carcass competition.
Results
Class 37 - Rabobank Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Steers (100 Day)
1st - D & AD Bassingthwaighte - Santa Gertrudis - ADG 3.118 - Wallumbilla QLD
2nd - McIntyre Agricultural Company - Angus - ADG 3.103 - St George QLD
3rd - Galloway Cattle Company – Brangus/Hereford X - ADG 3.069 - Roma QLD
Class 37 - Zoetis Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st - Atkinson Pastoral Company - Angus Droughtmaster X - ADG 3.446 - Muttaburra QLD
Class 38 - Elanco Animal Health Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Steers (70 Day)
1st - D & AD Bassingthwaighte - Santa Gertrudis - ADG 3.05 - Wallumbilla QLD
2nd - Yulgilbar Pastoral Company - Santa Gertrudis - ADG 2.86 - Baryulgil NSW
3rd - Dalara Pastoral Operations - Angus - ADG 2.82 - Coolum Beach QLD
Class 38 - Elanco Animal Health Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st - D & AD Bassingthwaighte - Santa Gertrudis - ADG 3.33 - Wallumbilla QLD
Class 39 (Wagyu Challenge) - Zoetis Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Wagyu Steers
1st - Kuro Kin Wagyu - F1 Angus - ADG 1.156 - Merriwa NSW
2nd - JE Hayden and Tom Kirkness - F1 Angus - ADG 1.113 - Glen Innes NSW
3rd - Wentworth Cattle Company - Wagyu F2+ - ADG 1.073 - Clermont QLD
Class 39 (Wagyu Challenge) - Performance Feeds Highest Individual Weight Gain
1st - Wentworth Cattle Company - Wagyu F2+ - ADG 1.325 - Clermont QLD