Overview: 2023 Cattle Section
The cattle section will be a hive of activity at the Royal Show this year, with some very large and exciting entries for the various competitions and showings.
The first weekend focuses on the judging of the steers, which will see around 100 A-grade slaughter animals judged on the hoof on Saturday 27 May, before their judging on the hook ahead of the Royal Show Carcass Competition and Auction on Tuesday 30 May.
The preparation and judging of the steers will take place concurrently with the KZN Youth Show, the Students Challenge, and the Future Farmers Competition, all of which focus on the important task of developing, encouraging and rewarding the efforts of our future stockmen and breeders.
On Monday 29 May, the focus shifts to the judging of the commercial beef and dairy heifers (a large group of about 90), and to the stud showing, which will comprise of eight different breeds. Monday sees the showing of the Brahman groups and females, the Simbra and Simmentaler groups and bulls, and the Angus.
The overall Brahman showing will consist of close to 200 halter-trained and unhalter-trained animals, and the Simbra and Simmentaler showing will see a similarly large group of about 150 animals in total. This year's Angus competition promises to be another exceptional one, with around 40 entries, many from out of province.
Monday afternoon also sees the Toyota SA Young Auctioneers Competition, where promising entrants have the opportunity to potentially launch a career as a livestock auctioneer.
Tuesday 30 May is an exceptionally busy day, with the stud showings continuing with the Brahman bulls, the Dexters (a large group of close to 50), the Limousins, the Simmentaler females, and the Sussexes.
Tuesday's judging ends with the much-anticipated Chianina national championships. The "gentle giants" will be taking to the Cattle Arena on Tuesday afternoon, and a large crowd is sure to assemble to admire them.
Tuesday's busy programme ends with the 2023 Royal Show Carcass Competition and Auction — the most prestigious event on the South African red meat calendar. The Carcass Competition awards ceremony will begin at 16h00 in the Sheep Expo Hall, and will be followed by the Carcass Auction, which will be live streamed on the Royal Show’s Facebook.
On the morning of Wednesday 31 May, the champions of each breed will compete in the Beef Interbreed competition, and the cattle section will culminate on Wednesday afternoon with the Gold Cup Grand Parade into the Main Arena, and the Gold Cup Award Presentations.
The Gold Cup Grand Parade is a truly impressive spectacle for anyone who appreciates livestock, and the public are encouraged to take a seat on the grandstand and appreciate the high standards that our breeders are capable of achieving.
This will be the last Gold Cup Grand Parade at the Royal Show's current venue, and will be a poignant occasion for many who have been closely involved with the Royal Show. However, livestock breeders can rest assured that future events held by the Royal Agricultural Society promise a truly magnificent setting that will appropriately showcase the country’s premier cattle in the royal manner to which they have become accustomed.
(Photo credit: The incredible photos of the cattle at the Royal Show have been taken by Justin Klusener of Justin Klusener Photography for the past ten years.)
