Droughtmasters flex their muscles

IN a first for Malanda Show, the 2023 Droughtmaster Feature Show was hosted in conjunction with this year’s stud beef cattle judging.

Kel-Lee A Hush( Vale View M Ballistic/ Wirrigai Nina) owned by Kellie Williams took out top honours being awarded the Supreme Champion Droughtmaster Stud Exhibit and also Grand Champion Female.

She was also a part of the winning droughtmaster breeders group.

Droughtmaster Australia far northern director Kellie Williams said this was the first time Malanda had ever hosted a Drought- master Feature Show and that local breeders had appreciated the opportunity to exhibit their animals at such a major event.

“The idea of the feature show was to promote the Droughtmaster breed in Far North Queensland and to showcase it, in the latest strategic plan the Far North was an area we felt that we could target to increase member- ship and cattle numbers,” Ms Williams said.

“There were five exhibitors and 18 head nominated. A little lower than we would have liked but the quality was really good.

“Jacinta Pedersen was the youngest exhibitor at 16, Hilltop Droughtmasters came back after an absence of four years. We have been exhibiting for over 30 years.”

David Greenup from Rosevale Santa Gertrudis stud, in Jandowae, Southern Queensland judged the local lineup of animals with Associate judge Mikaela Gauci, from Sarina assisting.

Droughtmaster Feature show Stud Beef chief steward Anthony Ball said the Droughtermaster breed was a versatile breed which is used widely across the region

“It’s great to see that we have a high calibre of judges at this event,” he said.

Scott, Rachael and Emily Bowden of Hilltop Droughtmasters made a strong come- back this year after not having shown for four years.

Racheal said they decided to exhibit this year to support the feature show.

“Due to not having shown for four years it was a great opportunity to gain exposure again,” she said.

“One of the highlights of the feature show for us was taking out the Grand Cham- pion Bull award with our six-month-old bull calf Hilltop Titan.”

The Droughtmaster breed is widely used on the Tablelands due to its versatility.

It was originally developed as a result of the efforts of pioneer Australian cattlemen crossing Bostaurus and Bosindicus to overcome the perennial problems of drought, cattle tick, heat, eye cancer and many other is- sues that reduce production and profitability.

This led to the development of an adapt- able, fertile and easy-care breed which has proven to be of great benefit to all sections of the beef cattle industry.

The Droughtmaster breed was recognised by the Queensland National Trust as a Queensland icon in 2006.

The Droughtmaster Society was established in 1962 and now goes under the slo- gan of Droughtmasters - Australia’s natural wonder. Acclaimed as being one of Australia’s most versatile cattle breeds, the society developed their The Road Ahead, Strategy 2020-2022 which was an ambitious two year transformational plan. It outlined key priori- ties and strategies for the breed and the society.

The society is now moving into the next stage of the plan which is called The Next Phase, Strategic Plan 2023-2025 which is designed to build on the foundations implemented from The Road Ahead, Strategy 2020-2022.

This new plan focuses on growing the breed’s geographic footprint both in terms of membership and inventory as well as ad- dressing opportunities to diversify our in- come streams.

Droughtmasters Australia has been working hard to build markets for its breeders with society sponsored sales events which are geared to maximise exposure for the breed and to give members the opportunity to improve their breeding programs.

For 60 years, Droughtmaster beef has been enjoyed across Australia and the world. It is a popular choice for hotels, clubs and many eateries with many consumers likely to have already savoured Droughtmaster beef at their favourite local eating establishment.

Excitingly, in recent years, a growing number of producers have developed private grass-fed collections perfect for the restaurant trade.

To meet market demands, many feedlotters place Droughtmaster cattle on short feed cycles, balancing grain supplement with grass backgrounding to achieve high weight gain and eating quality.

Internationally, growing export mar- kets continue to value the consistency of Droughtmaster beef.