First for Ohakune one tonne steer

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 339, 12 June 1990, Page 3

First for Ohakune one tonne steer

Ohakune beef breeder Alan Whale recently picked up first prize in a Feilding chiller beef competition with a beast that weighed over a tonne live.

He and his father, the late Wig Whale, picked

their winning Charolais purebred steer out of

their mob and pampered him, with carrots and swedes, his own paddock and just the house cow for company. Some other farmers just pick the best of their mob for the

competition, but Mr Whale said this beast would have done well even if they had done just that. The judging for the competition, which drew 77 entries, took place at the Affco works at Fielding. The Whale's beast was initially placed fourth in the on-the-hoof judging, then first in the heavyweight section, then first overall. Alan said the meat did not reach the highest grade possible but close to it at Kl. One silverside from the beast weighed about 19 kilograms which was the biggest the works had seen. He was told all of the beef would go for export to Japan. "We don't even get a steak to take home and try," said Mr Whale. He said the win has already proved good news for the farm and the breed with people asking if they have steers for sale. The Charolais herd was developed by his father, who began about 15 years ago after changing over from dairy farming. It took them 12 years to build up the herd to purebred status. They chose Charolais because of their size and because they don't tend to overfatten. This latest competition was the Whale

farm's third, with the first being several years ago when they entered a hereford fresian cross which was placed ninth. They entered last year but were disqualified. Mr Whale said the win proves the breed as well as this area, which can out-produce traditional cattle areas such as the Waikato and Manawatu. "They can grow grass all year round but we can grow good cattle," he said. He said raising top beef cattle also has a lot to do with the farmer and that his father was a particularly good farmer and stockman.