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July 4 th , 2005 was the day the Wyoming Romagnola Show Team set out from "Codrilla" Nebo, enroute to the Katherine and Darwin Shows.
The Team comprised of Wyoming Xeno (Senior Champion Bull Sydney 2005), Wyoming Willetta and calf Wyoming Zeph (Grand Champion Female Sydney 2005), Wyoming Zeus (Reserve Calf Champion Marlborough 2005), Wyoming Rom Roy (a 915 kg 4-tooth No. 3 Led Steer) and two No. 5 weaner half Romagnola half Brahman Bulls. Accompanying my wife Diane and I were Helen Baylis and Ian Polkinghorne from Mackay.
The total round trip distance travelled was approximately 6,400 kms. Careful planning had to be undertaken so as to only travel 600 - 700 kms per day and have good yards and water readily available at the end of each day. To complicate matters Queensland's N.L.I.S. was only 4 days old.
Day One: The Team departed from "Codrilla" Nebo and arrived at Charters Towers Saleyards that evening.
Day Two: We arrived at Cloncurry, where cattle were inspected for cattle tick, dipped in a plunge dip and issued with a Tick Clearance and a Northern Territory Health Certificate.
Day Three: This was our arrival at Camooweal, where we decided it would be a halfway mark to spell the cattle there for the fourth day. The hospitality at Camooweal was wonderful. We had previously arranged with a friend to stop over at the local Camp draft, Rodeo and Racetrack combined Facility - an excellent venue for our purpose.
Day Five: With a well rested Team we travelled over the Border into the Northern Territory, across the Barkley Tableland and on to Tennant Creek. We arrived at the Tennant Creek Showgrounds on the last day of their Annual Show. It was no trouble to accommodate us in the complex, even though we were not Exhibitors. The Australian Droughtmasters Society hosted their 2 nd Annual Show Sale at Tennant Creek and reports suggest there will be more in the future. The majority of the Droughtmasters came from Central Queensland and needless to say, there were plenty of Queensland cattlemen there. This theme continued over our trip. To put it in simple terms - the Territory is driven by an influx of Queenslanders and new ideas.
Day Six: This saw us into the Katherine Showgrounds - a welcome rest for man and beast four days prior to judging.
You may wonder why we undertook such a trip. The real story started 3 years before when Northern Territory cattleman, William Tapp, bought 25 Romagnola Bulls from us and took them to his property "Lonesome Dove". We had kept in contact over this period. But the real catalyst was when in late 2004, a Landmark Agent from Darwin and a Landmark Agent from Mackay arrived to inspect our cattle. The Darwin Landmark Agent had seen a spectacular line of Brahman/euro cross steers grazing on the Northern Flood Plains, where they were to be grown to an export weight for export to Indonesia. The Darwin Agent was told they were Charbray, but his cattle sense told him it did not seem right. After some research, he found they were Brahman/Romagnola steers which had been sourced from "Lonesome Dove" by Agents working the Live Cattle Trade to Indonesia - offspring from our Wyoming Romagnola bulls.
The 40 th Annual Katherine Show commenced. There is no doubt Katherine is the Cattle Capital of the Northern Territory and Brahman is the breed. Therefore, as you may have guessed, there were two breeds - them and us! The official weigh-in was a buzz just to see if our Romagnola cattle were as heavy as we had said. After almost 3000 kms on the road, the Rommies hit the scales delivering knockout weights to the gallery of spectators. I suppose you could call that ROUND 1.
ROUND 2 came on judging day where Roger Jeffries the Australian Brahman Breeders' President was to judge all cattle at Katherine Show. Without bias, and in good will, Roger awarded Wyoming Willetta Supreme Exhibit of the Katherine Show. As tradition has it, the Stud Cattle Awards and Prizes are presented at the Annual Northern Territory Brahman Breeders' Association Dinner. What a night - Romagnola Cow to get top award at Brahman Dinner!
I suppose I should make a point, if indeed a Brahman Breeder should read this, and may feel offended. The date of writing this is 1 st October, 2005. On the 3 rd October I plan to be sitting at Gracemere Saleyards, Rockhampton, hoping to buy approximately 7 quality Brahman Bulls. We also run Brahman cattle, but have found the advantage of crossbreeding. In my humble opinion, there is no better Euro Bull to put over Brahman females than that of a Romagnola with his dark pigment and superior heat tolerance. On the other hand, we have had spectacular results by putting Brahman Bulls back over the crossbred heifers and cows - calf size no problem.
With Katherine "done and dusted", it was on to Darwin. It was no surprise to all that we were competing against the same Brahman Studs from Katherine except one. By this time we had all become one big happy "cattle family" and we certainly did enjoy their company and have made lifelong friends.
Darwin Chief Cattle Steward was none other than Bonnie Henderson of "Bulloo River" fame. Cattle Judge of all the breeds - once again "them and us" - was Brahman Breeder Lawson Camm, almost our neighbour at home. We were not as successful in Darwin, with Paul and Debbie Herrod's Brahman Bull being placed Champion over our cow - a reverse of the Katherine Judging. It was a good way to finish up the series - locked up at "One All". A wonderful night was had at the Cattle Show Dinner to complete our NT showing schedule.
Tina and Lindsay McFarlane of "Stylo Brahman Stud", Katherine who were very successful with their Show Team took delivery of Wyoming Zeus, a bull we had intended to keep ourselves. But if you had ever met Lindsay he makes Crocodile Dundee look like a whimp! At 6'4" I thought discretion the better part of valour and Lindsay left with a bull and a smile.
On their visit in 2004, the Darwin Landmark Agent asked if would breed a line of bulls similar to the two No. 5 weaner crossbred bulls we had taken with us for display - to compete with the Charbray bulls. The Darwin Landmark Agent took delivery of the two young bulls in Darwin and has made an offer on approximately 46 similar bulls for later this year.
Darwin Royal Show over, it was on the road again. We travelled the same route to Cloncurry, then south to Winton, Longreach, Barcaldine, Emerald, Middlemount and then home!!!
There is no doubt that Romagnola and Romagnola cross cattle are the most adaptable European Cattle for northern Australia. At the moment other Euro Cattle have the jump on us. I am fairly sure that the northern environment will marginalise many of these popular Euro breeds. If we can build our sale bull numbers and maintain quality and not get carried away with the "open slather prospects", we will pick up many disillusioned cattlemen on the rebound from other Euro cattle.
Ron Pullen
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Ron Pullen with Wyoming Willetta |
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