Lardner Park marks its golden jubilee with 50 steer pairs at a final weigh in

Lardner Park's steer trial has hit 50 years with a neck-and-neck race between Angus and Hereford teams for the highest weight gain.

Lardner Park’s steer trial has reached its golden jubilee with 50 steer pairs this year, as the grass-fed cattle prepare for a final weigh-in.

The West Gippsland rganisation will host this year’s participants, about 30 producers, to watch the final weigh-in for the trial’s 50 years. The results will be reviewed over summer and announced next year at Farm World.

Lardner Park property manager Anthony Willems has looked after the cattle for six months. .

The grass-fed steer trial uses a controlled, pasture-only environment with most cattle breeds.

Lardner Park property manager Anthony Willems with the previous property manager Con Murphy. Picture: Supplied

“Angus is generally the highest number and Herefords, but we have Red Polls and Speckle Parks, we can’t have straight Euro breeds so that cancels out a few because we feed into the Coles graze program and we find they tend to struggle to get the fat cover,” he said.

Mr Willems said this year had both an Angus and Hereford team neck-and-neck with each other for the highest weight gain pair. The overall award combined a 55 per cent carcass score and 45 per cent of the weight gain score.

“It might be only a difference of .1kg … in terms of weight gain it’s amazing how they can vary dramatically even across individuals and breeds,” he said.

Mr Willems said the program offered better understanding of market needs, networking with other producers, benchmarking and industry feedback.

“Ultimately for breeders it’s an ability for them to compare their genetics and breed against others on a level playing field,” he said.

“It’s the ability for them to improve their own genetics and maybe even change breeding to improve what they’re producing.”

The Lardner Park steer trial in 2017. It celebrates 50 years this year. Picture: Andy Rogers

Once the cattle leave the property on Monday, Mr Willems will be preparing the 121-ha farm for a three-day music festival named A3.

“There’s a sense of attachment you can get to your cattle and do a lot of work, it’ll be sad to see them go,” he said.

“I strip graze them everyday, I see them every day rain, hail or shine and I’m checking in on them.

“It’s something we do for the good of the industry and we’re proud of it, we enjoy it, and especially marking the 50 years it’s been done. We’re proud to be running it.”