The Melbourne Royal Beef Cattle Competition will run from Thursday, September 28 to Sunday, October 1, with the pinnacle event, the Beef Interbreed, held on September 30.
All eyes will be on Limousins this year, the feature breed, with additional classes and prizes set to celebrate the breed and the Australian Limousin Breeders’ Society marking 50 years of Limousin in Australia and New Zealand.
At just 27 years old, Murray Van der Drift from Macorna Limousins and Black Diamond Speckled Park in Marcona, is already a seasoned Melbourne Royal Show exhibitor, having shown cattle since Year 8.
“Limousins have always been renowned for their yield, they’re light-boned and they have so much muscle in them that they’re the ideal butcher shop calf because they’re so lean with absolutely no waste,” Mr Van der Drift said.
Limousins originated from France, and Mr Van der Drift said Marcona Limousins was one of few studs to still breed the true French type.
“We probably have one of the larger true French herds in Australia and I just love the extra shape and that true lean muscle carcase that we can get out of it,” he said.
Mr Van der Drift has 30 cattle on feed currently and is planning on exhibiting 23 at Melbourne Royal, with Limousins, Charolais and Speckle Parks making up the team.
Preparation starts well before competition begins. Cattle are being fed on a 100 to 110-day grain regime to ensure they’re in tip-top condition. Three weeks before the show, Mr Van der Drift will move all cattle from bigger to smaller pens to let the preening begin.
“We do daily hair care and that’s washing every second day; bulls one day and females the other. We wash, rinse, use all the hair care products, and then we also do a lot of leading practice as the show gets closer,” he said.
“We try our best to be as competitive as possible and put up good cattle that are structurally right, but you have to pick all that even before you put them on feed.”
While there’s been no shortage of show highlights for Mr Van der Drift, winning two Reserve Championships in 2017 with Black Diamond Speckled Park in his first year exhibiting stud cattle — in the year Speckled Park was the feature breed — won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
And although the glory of winning at the state’s pre-eminent show is undoubtedly in Mr Van der Drift’s sights, he said the Beef Cattle Committee and the camaraderie with other exhibitors attracts his whole family back, year after year.
“The cattle committee is very strong and very focused on ensuring the competitors are comfortable. The way it's structured and the relationships they have with all the exhibitors is fantastic," he said.
“Our family is also very proud of our cattle and getting our product out there. It’ll be a real family outing with my grandparents in Melbourne and they’ll be there on judging day to cheer us on.”
Entrie for the Melbourne Royal Beef Cattle Competition close on Wednesday, August 2.
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