Tondara Clines Vendetta has stormed home to clinch the coveted interbreed junior beef bull title at the 2014 Melbourne Royal Show.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Prepared and exhibited by eight-year-old Thomas Holt, Tondara Stud, Urana, the 17-month-old bull was earlier sashed junior and grand champion bull, and supreme exhibit in the Hereford ring by judge Rick Miller, Naracoorte, South Australia.
Weighing 940kg, Vendetta is the first embryo transfer calf to be born in Australia by US sire SLDK Vendetta V-9 and is out of Melbourne and Sydney Royal grand champion cow Tondara Novelty 96.
The bull scanned with an eye muscle area of 120sqcm, rib fat depth of 13mm and rump fat of 7mm.
Vendetta’s triumph backed up a reserve junior champion bull in his showring debut at the 2014 Adelaide Royal.
He was paraded in the interbreed against 18 other entries by the Holt’s 13-year-old goddaughter Jordan Alexander, of Bowral, NSW.
It was also a double celebration for Tondara principals, Tom and Sophie Holt, with their female, Kanimbla Miss K H100 winning senior and grand champion Poll Hereford female, and supreme Poll Hereford exhibit.
The female went on to place top four in the interbreed.
Tondara was the most successful exhibitor in the Hereford ring.
Mrs Holt said Vendetta would be used within the Tondara stud.
“He is perfect for us with his combination of carcass characteristics, performance, growth for age, doing ease and soft fleshing – we are pretty excited by him,’’ she said.
Mr and Mrs Holt bought their winning female from the Kanimbla stud sale two years ago for Thomas to compete at heifer shows.
The two-year-old was sired by Kidman Bligh and out of Kanimbla Miss K D035.
Mrs Holt said Thomas had selected Miss K H100 to be shown at Melbourne with her three-week-old heifer calf by reserve senior champion bull, Tondara Sage.
Since the Tondara stud prefix was transferred to Thomas, the eight-year-old has capably prepared and led the show team with the help of Jordan Alexander.
“Jordan spends all of the school holidays preparing the cattle and is a member of the Herefords Australia youth group,’’ Mrs Holt said.
“To stand and watch the smiles on the kids faces makes all the effort worthwhile.
“Winning the junior bull interbreed was beyond our wildest dreams and very exciting.’’
