Best Kept Secret wins top title

Continuing a stellar show performance, Morrisvale Limousin stud has claimed the supreme cattle exhibit ribbon for the second consecutive year.

In what could be seen as a replication of last year’s results, the stud’s easy-going bull, Morrisvale Kept Secret, was chosen over a classy Southend Murray Grey female with calf at foot.

The judges said both the grand champion bull and female were the “pinnacle” of the beef industry.

At two years and eight months, the bull suitably impressed both South Australian judges, Richard Miller and David Galpin.

“He is probably the best Limousin I’ve ever had the honour to judge,” Mr Miller said.

“You would go a long way to find a bull like this. He beat out some handy competition in his own class,” Mr Galpin said.

The judges believed the mid-maturity bull would contribute greatly to the beef industry.

Mr Miller praised the animal’s softness and easy movement,saying it had “glided around the ring like a cat”.

“He’s big framed, stands up well, gets his head up, has a low backend and hindquarter — he’s bred — and has held together well,” Mr Miller said.

Morrisvale stud co-principal Casey Morris said the 1148kg bull was almost unbeaten in the ring, with a resume that includes supreme exhibit at Woolorama as well as ribbons at the Harvey, Waroona, Margaret River and Busselton shows.

“He missed out on supreme at the IGA Perth Royal Show last year on a count back, but won grand champion of his category,” Mrs Morris said.

The bull will not be attending the 2017 Perth Royal Show due to stud duties.

However, the Morris family is hoping to add to their bull’s winning streak at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

“We are hoping to get a full stud season in with him this year. Last year, he was only out (at stud) for six weeks, but he still managed to go over 40 cows,” Mrs Morris said.

They are looking forward to seeing Morrisvale Kept Secret’s first stud progeny drop this week.

Although the secret may be out about its class and quality, Mrs Morris said the bull was still a “gentleman” in the paddock.

“We never actually saw him go over any of the cows,” she said.

The judges were also full of praise for the multi-breed champion female exhibit, Liberty Jewel the Night J53E, saying the cow was hard to fault, ticked all the boxes and was “very functional”.

Just shy of four years old, the judges said the Liberty Charolais cow also had a tremendous four-month-old bull calf at foot.

Southend Murray Grey stud’s performance was impressive, with stud principal Kurt Wise taking home sashes for most points in the trade and stud cattle sections, grand champion, champion heavyweight and champion medium-weight unled prime beef, grand champion and purebred unled heifer pairs and a clean sweep of all Murray Grey classes.

Mr Wise said it was the first time that he had won either of the most point sashes.

The stud had 12 entries in the show, including the grand champion unled heifers. The heifer pair was born on the same day and sired by purchased New South Wales bull, Wheelview Finn.

Entries were down this year, with just over 80 exhibits walking the ring.

Organisers said the recent heavy rain was partially to blame.