Northern Beef Producers 2023 feedlot steer competition results

Fed at the Laurel Hills Feedlot, 100 steers, up from 70 entered in 2022, were entered from six vendors in this year's feedlot competition component of the NBPE at Charters Towers.

The steers were transported to Teys Australia in early October.

Of the three categories for hoof, hook and on-feed success, it was Bogunda Station and Jack and Tara Dumma, Summa Simmentals, Emoh Ruo, Middlemount that cleaned up.

In first challenge, based on the hoof, which were the winners of cattle presented and judged as a pen of 10 on the day of the NBPE, first and second place was awarded to Bogunda Station, with Angus cross steers and Limousin cross steers, while the Warre family, St Anns Pastoral, Belyando Crossing claimed third place with Simmental steers.

The second challenge, daily weight gain, during the 100 days on feed at Laurel Hills, was won by the Dummas with their Simbrah steers (2.42kg/day), while second was awarded to Bogunda Station, with their Angus cross steers (2.33kg/day), and third to Morganbury Pastoral, Charters Towers, with their Brangus steers (2.32kg/day).

The third challenge, carcase assessment when cattle were graded at Teys Australia, saw first place awarded to Angus cross steers exhibited by Bogunda Station, second to St Anns Pastoral, with Simmental cross steers, while third was awarded to Bogunda Station, with their Limousin cross steers.

As the most successful overall exhibitors, Bogunda Station (24,281 hectares) is located 70 km south of Prairie and currently owned by Ben and Robyn Brown, alongside their son Lindsay and his wife Renae.

The station has been run by the Brown family for over a century and is currently running up to 1600 breeders.

Lindsay Brown said they were breeding predominately Droughtmaster and Limousin infused cattle that were sold into southern feedlot markets.

"Our business is predominantly Droughtmaster cross Limousin, so we might buy Droughtmaster bulls one year, and Limo bulls the next," he told North Queensland Register.

"We've got a bit of Angus through the herd and it was only when we were drafting up the steers to enter into the competition we thought we'd put a line of the black steers in as well.

"We've got a handful of Angus in the herd and the fact that they've done so well, it's sort of intrigued us to do a lot more with them."

Mr Brown said the family try to background their steers through to a feedlot weight if the season permits.

"In a good year, we try and get them up to 360 kilogram average before we sell but in a dry year, we're offload a bit earlier," Mr Brown said.

"We keep our weaners for at least 12 months and try and put a bit of weight on them before we sell."

Mr Brown said they decided to enter this year's competition to benchmark their herd and receive important carcase data on their cattle.

"We were most surprised on the carcase results, but traditionally we would have sold off our steers before they were near that stage," he said.

"We've always got good feedback from our feedlot clients in how they grew out, but as far as that carcase feed back, that was really good to see."