Susanna Freymark
It is the first time the Dean family from Culmaran Pines entered the Beef Week cattle comp at EKKA in Brisbane this month – and they came away with two ribbons.
One was for Grand Champion Female and the other win was for Heavyweight Champ on the Carcase.
For Tony Dean from Sandilands, near Mallanganee, it is less about the cattle and more about his three daughters and their involvement in showing cattle.
“For my girls, I can’t put a price on the value of the girls doing the show circuit and the connections they’ve made,” Tony said.
We do it for the kids – it’s good to see the kids clipping and grooming cattle.
Tony Dean
The Deans buy their bulls from Lindesay View Limousins at Findon Creek.
“You’re producing quality steers,” Tony said.
“It’s how we started and we’ll start selling our bulls in a couple of years time.”
Three years ago, the Deans bought their first female that started the stock.
“We have 15 females now,” Tony said.
He uses Riverina feed mix for the cows.
Emerald Dean led the champion cow – a Traditional Simmental Fleckvieh – around the show ring.
The judge said it was a very well balanced cow, Tony said.
The wins make for a promising future for the Deans.
It’s about the future for your kids, Tony said.
“They improve their public speaking and deal with people that will help in life.”
Josh Sawtell from Lindesay View Limousins said out of the 15 calves they bred, more than 10 were in the top five in the carcase comp at this year’s EKKA.