Cure House Biltong Cow Competition Highlights Value of Mature Cattle at the Royal Show
K101, exhibited by Justin Fyvie of Five Star Santa Gertrudis, claimed first place in both the on-the-hoof and carcass judging of the Cure House Biltong Cow Competition at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show. K101 is progeny of JT150001 Hercules.
The 2026 Cure House Biltong Cow Competition at the Royal Agricultural Show celebrated a distinctive part of South Africa's beef industry, recognising the value of mature cattle in traditional biltong production.
Judged on the hoof on Wednesday, 7 October, by SAFJA judges Douglas Fletcher and Dave Shewan, the competition saw Justin Fyvie of Five Star Santa Gertrudis claim first and third places, with Donald Roseveare taking second.
Unlike competitions focused on younger, prime beef animals, the Biltong Cow Competition recognises the qualities that make mature cattle valuable in a specialised meat market.
Older, well-conditioned animals can produce beef with the rich flavour and fat characteristics sought by traditional biltong makers. Some biltong enthusiasts particularly prize geelvet, or yellow fat, traditionally associated with the rich flavour of mature, pasture-fed beef.
The yellow colour is associated with natural pigments, particularly beta-carotene, found in green forage. Cattle raised predominantly on grass can accumulate these pigments in their fat, with the colour often becoming more pronounced as animals mature. Fat colour alone, however, does not determine meat quality.
The competition therefore highlights a commercially valuable product that differs from the younger beef typically emphasised in conventional fat stock judging.
Justin Fyvie (left) with judges Douglas Fletcher and Dave Shewan after claiming first and third places in the Biltong Cow classes during the on-the-hoof judging at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show.
Five Star Santa Gertrudis Leads On-the-Hoof Results
Fyvie's Santa Gertrudis cow, K101, weighing 716kg, claimed first place in the Cure House Biltong Cow Competition.
Donald Roseveare secured second place with K26, weighing 720kg, while Fyvie completed the top three with K100, weighing 673kg.
The competition formed part of the Royal Fat Stock Show at the new Royal Showgrounds at Tweedie, near Howick, during the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal's 175th anniversary celebrations.
Don Roseveare (left), who claimed second place in the on-the-hoof judging of the Cure House Biltong Cow Competition, pictured later in the week with judge Rowan van Aardt at the Royal Show’s commercial heifer competition. He also claimed the Single Champion Heifer title in that competition.
Carcass Judging Confirms K101's Success
The subsequent Royal Carcass Competition provided a further assessment of the animals, allowing judges to evaluate characteristics of the finished product that cannot be fully determined during live judging.
Fyvie's on-the-hoof champion, K101, completed a double victory by also winning the Champion Biltong Cow Carcass award, achieving a score of 95 points.
His second entry, K100, improved from third place on the hoof to second in the carcass judging, scoring 94 points – just one point behind the champion.
Ferrero Bonsmara claimed third place in the carcass judging with K75, scoring 88 points, while Donald Roseveare's K26 finished fourth with 81 points.
These results demonstrate the complementary roles of on-the-hoof and carcass judging. While live judging considers the animal's visible conformation and condition, carcass assessment provides further information about the meat and fat characteristics of the finished product.
The Cure House Champion Biltong Cow Carcass at the 2026 Royal Carcass Competition, exhibited by Five Star Santa Gertrudis.
Recognising a Valuable Part of the Beef Industry
The Cure House Biltong Cow Competition gives recognition to mature cattle and the important commercial market they serve, while providing breeders and producers with an opportunity to assess their animals through successive stages of judging.
The Royal Agricultural Society congratulates Justin Fyvie, Donald Roseveare, Ferrero Bonsmara and all the exhibitors who participated in the 2026 competition.
Our thanks to Cure House for its sponsorship of the Biltong Cow carcass award, and to the KwaZulu-Natal Red Meat Producers' Organisation (KZN RPO), Voermol Feeds, HIPRA, ADM Animal Nutrition and the Royal Agricultural Society for supporting the 2026 Royal Fat Stock Show.
