Graham Tibby - Supreme Champion Bull Breeder - 1990Borrowing a bull of Tokirima farmer Neil Pierce reaped benefits for his neighbour Graham Tibby who came away with the supreme champion prize at the Limousing and Limousin-crosses national carcass competitions in Palmerston North in 1990.
Mr Tibby won the over 320.5 kg division with his Charolais-Angus cross carcass.
The carcass won both the on-hoof and the on-hook sections in the Taranaki competition to net the winning score of 415.6 points.
Mr Tibby says he borrowed the bull from Mr Pierce over three years ago and bred from it. The winning bull ran with the rest of the herd for the first 12 months although when it was about four months old, Mr Tibby says he noticed it was a special bull.
At the end of the 12 months, Mr Tibby picked out 12 bulls who he though had potential and he looked after them carefully.
The prize bull was a very quiet pretty boy who had to be de-horned.
Mr Tibby's big disappointment is that he had to take the beast away to slaughter at Affco Waitara rather than Affco Taumarunui.
That meant he was listed from Taranaki rather than his beloved Tokirima where he was born and bred. He now farms 460 hectares in partnership with his father Wally.
Mr Tibby paid credit to stock agent Rod Harris and says winning the competition gave him a real buzz.
"There's probably a lot of people around here with good cattle who could win but never try."
And the irony is that the beast which won Mr Tibby $2660 in prize money along with sashes, silver coffee set and tray, and trophies, had to be slaughtered.
At only 33 months old, the beast could have been expected to continue growing and improving. But Mr Tibby now realises that what he is doing on his Tokirima farm is on the right breeding track. And of course he's grateful to the man who helped him to victory - Mr Pierce and the "borrowed' bull.