This year's Westech steer trial produced the closest result since the trial began, going to a countback using three decimal places to decide the winner.
Teams from three different entrants appeared consistently in the grass, grain and carcase section awards, from Tambo, Blackall and Aramac, resulting in a tie for the first time, between a consistent winner and a first-time entrant.
Fourteen teams of 10 steers had been entered at the end of January, with the idea of discounting the two worst performers in each team, but organiser Genevieve Hawkins said they had to incorporate those results in order to separate the teams at the top.
In the end it was Simmental steers from Thistlebank Station north of Aramac that won the overall competition, ahead of Ravensbourne Station south of Blackall.
The Walker family at Ravensbourne had the highest ranking individual steer, a Santa Gertrudis bred from their Strathmore genetics, while John Brown and Anna Counsell's Santa steer bred from a Rosevale bull was the reserve champion individual steer.
Thistlebank had earlier been announced the winner of the grassfed section with an average daily weight gain of 1.163kg, in front of Ravensbourne on 1.122kg/day, and the Moller family at Athol, Blackall, whose steers put on 1.095kg/day.
They had been running in a 2025ha paddock at Clover Hills, south of Barcaldine, which had a mix of grasses and herbage after good summer rain, along with pulled and standing gidyea.
After being trucked to Miles for 100 days on feed at the Condabri feedlot, it was the Jabinda steers, entered by John Brown and Anna Counsell, that surged into first place in the grain section, with Thistlebank and Ravensbourne in second and third.
Jabinda also took first place in the carcase section, followed by Ravensbourne and a second entry by John and Anna from South Delta at Barcaldine, based on Eaglehawk Angus-cross bloodlines.
Results were based on average profitability.
Thistlebank owner Ben Simpson said the Simmental breed had been giving them good results for many years.
They've sourced bulls from eight different lines to keep the diversification there.
Ravensbourne's Ben Walker said they'd learnt a lot from their first time in the competition.
"It was hard to find steers that fitted the criteria - it goes against the grain not to put in your biggest and heaviest animals," he said.
Steers had to be between 330 and 400kg on-farm, be 0-2 tooth, and non-HGP treated.
Ms Hawkins said teams, which added up to 140 steers, had come in from Aramac, Barcaldine, Blackall, Tambo, Longreach and Muttaburra, "a good cross-section of the central west, and breeds".
An Optiweigh was utilised during the grassfed section and was accessed by 59 per cent of the herd, or 83 steers.
Ms Hawkins said the weights of the animals mirrored its information, proving its accuracy.
"We used it to judge when we should muster the cattle and move them on," she said.
Dung sampling also gave useful information, explained by DAF's Jane Tincknell.
"Sometimes our eyes cheat on us," she said.
"The grass started with good digestibility but the crude protein started to dip at the end, as you'd expect.
"Resilience is all about putting shock absorbers in - in this circumstance, that's about keeping body condition on cows."
The cattle were trucked to Miles in early May and Condabri's Simon Drury said the trial had been interesting from their point of view because it focused on individual animal performance rather than groups of cattle.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
