ANNE, Andrew and Harris Thompson’s Venturon Charolais is a continuing success story.
With their bull Venturon Keystone, they took out top spots in the interbreed cattle competition at the 2015 IGA Perth Royal Show.
The 860kg, 19 month old bull was named as Interbreed Junior Champion Bull and Supreme Interbreed Junior Beef Bull.
Along with their Venturon Charolais stud Anne and Andrew Thompson are owners and managers of IGA Boyup Brook. The Thompsons are well-known in the local community and have grown a name for themselves with the beef available exclusively at IGA Boyup Brook coming from their co-owned farm, Venturon Charolais.
Anne, Andrew and Harris Thompson established Venturon Charolais in 1994 and currently run 100 purebred females and 300 commercial females on their property at Dinninup, Boyup Brook.
They have successfully exhibited at the Perth Royal Show since 2008 with three Interbreeds, four Junior Champion Charolais, two reserve junior and three reserve senior champion ribbons.
Their success continued, having won the progeny group, Breeders group of three, 2012 Interbreed Group of Three Heifers, second Interbreed Junior All Breeds Bull 2011 and have also been most successful exhibitor in this short time.
“A highlight for us is a Charolais cross Angus steer winning the Reserve Grand Champion Carcase in 2012, at the 2013 Perth Royal we were placed third overall in the Carcase competition with another Charolais cross Angus steer who scored 91.6 points,” Andrew said.
“2015 saw Venturon Keystone as the All Breeds Beef Junior Bull Champion as well as the Supreme Champion Charolais Exhibit at IGA Perth Royal Show.”
Their focus is to continually improve the herd by introducing new sires through their AI program and constantly use Charolais bulls in their commercial herd. All stud animals are breedplan recorded and traits are observed and monitored for low birth weight and good growth.
“We attended the 2015 Canadian Charolais Technical conference and secured some exciting new genetics for Venturon Charolais with the purchase of Australian Semen Rights, with LVH Fairfield Charolais stud of Queensland of the top priced Canadian sire, (recently sold for $155,000CAD) Sparrows Kingston,” Andrew said. “We were also fortunate to be offered the exclusive West Australian semen rights, of Sparrow’s herd sire, Winn Manns Scaggs together with Palgrove Charolais of Queensland, and Silverstream Charolais of New Zealand.”