Prime time for Alex's top beef

Pipiwai farmer Alex Macmillan has reached the finals of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin Challenge with meat from his Hinterwald cattle, the smallest cattle breed in central Europe.

Mr Macmillan, 74, who began breeding Hinterwalds during his 44-year career as an LIC technician, said the breed was comparable in size to Jersey cattle.

The Hinterwald breed reaches up to 350-450kg in body weight and has flesh with very fine fibres.

The height of the withers of the cow is about 118cm and of the bull is about 125cm.

Mr Macmillan's Hinterwald is the sole Northland entry among the four finalists in the Best of Breed European section.

Te Kopuru Angus breeders Chris and Karren Biddles, who won the Steak of Origin challenge in 2007 and took runner-up placing in the Best of British category in 2009, are once again finalists in the Best of British section.

The contest will be judged at Feilding on Monday.

As 2012 marks a decade of the Steak of Origin Challenge, a special Producer of the Decade award is also being presented based on the results entrants have attained over the past 10 years.

Four Northland entrants are among the 10 finalists in this category - Chris and Karren Biddles; Kevin McConnell, of Whangarei; David McKenzie, of Waipu; and Dannie and Bethley O'Shea, of Maungatapere.