For the second time in three years Yorke Peninsula stud Minlacowie Poll Herefords, Brentwood, claimed the supreme champion sash at the Alice Springs Show.
The top-placed sire at Friday's show Minlacowie Fielders F118, had a breedplan EBV of +33 for 200-day weight, +1.7 for scrotal size, -0.1 for rib fat, and +2.6 for eye muscle area.
Sired by the $50,000 Debarry Elliott, the 22-month-old bull had a blue blood Minlacowie pedigree featuring Hustler and Xcitement.
It was the second time the stud had returned to exhibit bulls at the show, after its debut in 2010.
Judge Kylie Catts, Futurity Shorthorns, Baradine, north western New South Wales, said the champion was a versatile animal.
"He was a bull that ticks all the boxes," she said.
"He was good-bodied, with excellent carcase shape and fat coverage.
"He was medium-maturity which made him very versatile when it came to producing MSA (Meat Standards Australia) grade quality stock.
"We are not getting paid for eating quality yet but it will come."
Mrs Catts, who as a teenager showed cattle at Alice Springs for her parents' Temana Charolais Stud at Bordertown, said she was impressed by how the quality of cattle had improved in the 18 years since she had last attended the show.
"It shows that producers in the centre are valuing the quality of their stock and investing in genetics," she said.
Mrs Catts said she was looking to select a sire that would produce versatile calves that could either be kept and grown-out if seasons were good, or sold-on at a younger age if needed.
"The bull I was looking for needed medium maturity, a good muscle pattern and carcase, and the ability to lay down fat," she said.
Minlacowie's Tom Honner said the supreme winner was a tremendous bull.
"As is often the case there was a dispute as to whether we kept him or not," he said.
"But from our end we aim to bring top-end bulls up here to the show and sale."
There were up to 10 bulls in some of the Poll Hereford classes.
Champion Santa Gertrudis bull was shown by the Tiller family, HB Rural, Goolagong, Warnertown, with a Waco Volume-sired son.
Champion Charolais bull exhibitor was MR&JH Ferme, Gum View, Crystal Brook.
Champion Droughtmaster bull went to Matt and Sally Bekker, Bos Park, Gympie, Queensland.
It was the second year that the Bekkers had taken Droughtmasters to the show and bull sale, and their champion bull went on to make top price the next day.
Champion other breed bull exhibitor was Banquet Angus, Mortlake, Victoria.
Supreme female ribbon and 2010 junior encouragement award winner was Brooke Weir leading a Santa Gertrudis female from her parent's Ammaroo Station, 320 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs.