Truro Sherlock S188 (P) has been crowned the champion of champions interbreed bull at the 2023 Royal Queensland Show.
It completes a stellar year of championships for one of the most decorated Hereford bulls of modern times.
With owner Scott Hann on the halter, Sherlock blitzed all other breed bull champions in a unanimous decision under judges Erica Halliday, Ben Nevis Angus, Walcha, NSW, Scott Ferguson, Glen Oaks, Nobby and PJ Budler, Texas, USA.
The first Hereford to win the interbreed at the Ekka in years, Sherlock impressed for his enormous eye muscle, ideal fat cover, bone, carcase, structural correctness, overall balance and presence.
Earlier Sherlock was sashed senior and grand champion bull in the Hereford ring under judge Shane Bishop, Garglen Brahmans, Moura.
The rising two-year-old weighed 1050 kilograms, had a raw eye muscle scan of 144 square centimetres and fat depths of 16 millimetres and 11mm.
Mr Hann described Sherlock as “incredibly soft“ for such a powerful carcase bull.
He will be offered as lot two at Scott and Pip Hann’s Truro Whiteface on-property spring sale at Bellata on 28 August with full possession and semen marketing rights.
Upon his showring debut at Glen Innes in January, the 16-month-old Sherlock was reserve champion junior Hereford bull and won the interbreed sweepstakes bull of the show.
He went on to win grand champion Hereford bull, supreme champion interbreed bull and supreme beast of the show at the Inverell Hereford feature show in February with 75 head of Hereford cattle being exhibited.
The bull swept into the 2023 Sydney Royal taking junior and grand champion Hereford bull and supreme Hereford exhibit under judge Alastair Day with Scott Hann again leading.
Success continued at Taroom where he was the junior bull challenge winner, Bos Taurus and interbreed grand champion bull before taking out the 2023 Super Bull Challenge nudging out the Charolais, Brahman and Simmental champions.
Sherlock was the first bull to win all three major categories at the Taroom Show.
Sherlock is a son of Yalgoo Peacemaker P034 (PP), a sire bought by Truro with the first sons sold in the stud’s autumn sale topping at $22,000.
His dam, Truro Daffodil M066 is one of the stud’s best performing cow families.
The bull has been prepared throughout his show career by professional fitters Steve Hayward and Kellie Smith, Allora and they rate Sherlock as one of the most decorated bulls in the nation of any breed.
Mr Hann paid tribute to the professionalism of Steve and Kellie in preparing the bull.
“Sherlock has the most beautiful nature but the minute he sets foot in a showring, he goes into another gear,” he said.
“We have collected 500 straws of semen for ourselves and have sold semen to commercial show steer producers to go across a variety of European and British breeds.
“He has certainly created interest in the Hereford among other breeds, including Santa Gertrudis and Droughtmaster.
“It takes a lifetime to breed a bull like this.”
A spirited cheer squad of Hereford breeders celebrated Sherlock’s win at the Ekka against the Shorthorn, Droughtmaster, Angus and Brahman bull champions.
Meanwhile, Kirrily Johnson-Iseppi and family, GK Livestock, Dalby, led GK Red 624 Dina S2 and her bull calf to the female interbreed title.
