Community & Business
28 May, 2021
Queen visits Malanda cattle school
GIVING kids the opportunity to gain experience and confidence in working with stud and commercial beef cattle in the lead up to the show season was the aim of the annual Malanda Cattle Handling and Judging School held last weekend.
BY SALLY TURLEY
GIVING kids the opportunity to gain experience and confidence in working with stud and commercial beef cattle in the lead up to the show season was the aim of the annual Malanda Cattle Handling and Judging School held last weekend.
A total of 85 students from Malanda, Atherton, Innisfail, Tully and Charters Towers schools converged on the Malanda Showgrounds to participate in the three-day school coordinated by the Malanda Show Society.
All Souls and St Gabriels, Charters Towers emerged champions in the competition between the schools and local girl, Naomi Godfrey won the title of Overall Champion Parader of the weekend.
Beginning on Friday morning, students attended lectures on topics such as pasture management, judging etiquette, the structural correctness and selection of stud cattle, commercial cattle selection, assessment and judging and the examination of the male and female reproductive tracts of cattle.
They also participated in practical demonstrations of ring craft, parading, stall preparation, shed etiquette, the preparation and presentation of animals, including washing and blow drying animals and the care and maintenance of equipment.
On Sunday, the event culminated in the Paraders Competition, demonstrating how much students had learned from instructors Tammie Robinson, Mo and Charleene Pedersen, Kellie Williams of Kel-lee Droughtmaster Stud and the Tableland Veterinary Service.
Toogoolawah Stud Brangus breeder, Tammie Robinson of Three Hearts Brangus Stud judged the stud and commercial young judges and paraders competition on Sunday, and was extremely impressed with what she saw.
Tammie said she really enjoyed coming up north each year and sharing her passion for the cattle industry with the young beef producers of tomorrow.
She said 85 out of 85 of the students in attendance were great kids and she believed the future of the beef industry looked to be in good hands.
Ms Robinson said she thoroughly enjoyed watching the relatively green students grow in knowledge and confidence throughout the school, to become more confident and capable leaders and judges by the end of the weekend.
Greg English of Eachamvale Stud, Malanda said the Malanda Show Society was sincerely grateful to all the sponsors and volunteers and participating schools who had helped make the weekend possible.
Malanda Beef Plan Group, Godfrey Livestock Transport and P4K Livestock Cartage, Dairy Farmers, Karen and Billy Courtney and Kathy and Les Plath, Malanda Rural Supplies, Catherine English, Robert and Joanne Davis, Atherton Gas and Camping and many other individuals generously donated their product and time.
