Top prize for Donnybrook cattle producers

The Dimasi family, of Paradise Beef, at Donnybrook, were awarded the top prize at the beef carcase award presentations at this year’s Perth Royal Show.

Their efforts to prepare a 150-day fed Murray Grey cross steer was a collaboration with the steer’s owners, Johnson Meats principals Terry and Kellee Russell, who also run their Cowtown Grazing property, at Boyup Brook.

The Russells accepted the award for their part in securing the steer from the saleyards through the expert advise of independent agent Greg Jones.

“It was our first entry into the carcase competition, and we made the grade with a grand champion carcase win,” Mr Russell said.

“Gary Dimasi and his very capable staff have prepared show-winning carcases in the past, but he did us proud with our first contract-fed show steer.”

The Russells’ steer was earlier judged reserve champion heavyweight in front of the eyes of judge Andrew Raff, of Raff Angus, at King’s Island, at Tasmania.

The Murray Grey cross had a 512kg live weight before being processed, resulting in a 306kg hot standard carcase weight, giving a 59.9 per cent dressing percentage, with 10mm P8 fat.

It scored a Meat Standards Australian marbling count of 340 and a MSA Index of 56.57 with a 34.57 out of 48 total points towards eating quality and ranked first on the hook in its class with a total carcase point score of 86.07 out of a possible 100.

Murdoch University claimed two top awards and another two second place wins for their efforts of preparing nine entries.

Regular competitors at the show, Murdoch University won the champion medium weight carcase sash with a Limousin cross Angus while its Gelbvieh steer was awarded the extra heavyweight champion carcase title.

Murdoch University's reserve champion heavyweight, a Limousin cross Angus steer, was only 0.44 points out of the running for the grand champion carcase title.

The champion lightweight carcase award win went to the WA College of Agriculture — Denmark for its Gelbvieh cross Murray Grey steer.