Community & Business
16 July, 2023
Show’s ag status growing
MAKING history with hosting the State finals of the Dairy Young Judges and Paraders competition for the first time outside of the Brisbane Exhibition and being given the honour of also hosting the 2023 Droughtmaster Feature Show left no doubt that this year’s Dairy Farmers 106th Malanda Show was in sensational form.
Malanda Show Society president Greg English said that this year’s show was the best one so far.
“It gets bigger and better every year - It was an all round fantastic show,” Mr English said.
“Everyone associated with the Malanda Show, workers and exhibitors, has done a marvellous job.”
The show prides itself on be- ing a true agricultural show and this year proved to be no exception. Malanda Show manager Kate Stokes said this year live stock pavilions were brimming, with many at full capacity and record numbers being reported in some.
“There were around 120 head of dairy cattle entered, around 107 head of stud beef, around 120 of prime beef, over 400 poultry and over 100 horses,” Mrs Stokes said.
“This is the most animals we have had in any show and quite possibly the most of any show in the region including Cairns.
“We are humbled to be selected to host these events. We see this as an opportunity to showcase the best of our wonderful dairy industry.”
Being renowned for being one of the premier dairy shows in Australia, this year’s judges were Phil Hentschke (Illawarra) who came from South Australia, Rod Verrall (Combined breeds) from Southern Queensland and Ben Govett {Holstein) from Victoria.
They judged five dairy cattle breeds which included Illawarras, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Guernseys and Holsteins.
In what could quite possibly be a first for any show in Australia, three members of the one family have won the highest accolades possible at any one show.
Supreme Champion Cow was won by Jersey cow Long Lanes TS Narcissus. She is owned by Jerry English. His brother, Patrick English won the Queensland State Finals of the Dairy Young Judges.
Their sister Rachel English completed the hat trick, after winning the Queensland State Finals of the Dairy Paraders competition.
The winner of the John & Cherie Bevan Memorial Dairy Youth Challenge was Team A comprising of Aila Bevan, Lucy Stace, Joey Donald and Reece Rielly.
The largest show team exhibited was by the English family of Eachamvale with a team of 36 animals both Illawarra and Jersey.
Synonymous with the Malanda Show, the English family won Most Successful Dairy Exhibitor.
Crowd favourite George Johnston won the Bega and Dairy Farmers Celebrity Milk- ing Competition and donated his $500 winnings to the Malanda Lions Club.
The 2023 Droughtmaster Feature Show was held in con- junction with this year’s Stud Beef judging.
Stud Beef chief steward Anthony Ball said cattle exhibits were up on last year's numbers.
“This year we had two new exhibitors with Millstream Springs and Darcy Small and we had 13 different breeds on display,” he said.
Father-daughter team David and Amy Whitechurch from In- verell, New South Wales judged the Supreme Champion Stud Beef Exhibit to be 16-month-old Santa Gertrudis heifer Talan- galook Scarlett T07 owned by Nick and Alison Trompf.
Overall Champion Junior Judge and Junior Parader for Stud Beef was Jacinta Pedersen.
In the Prime Beef section chief steward Colleen McLucas said that the pens were filled to capacity in the 2023 Malanda Show Prime cattle yards.
Owen Rankine scooped the pool winning all three major coveted championships, taking home Champion Female of Show, Champion Bullock of Show as well as Most Successful Prime Beef Exhibitor.
Overall Champion Junior Judge Prime Beef was Sascha Micola von Furstenrecht.
In the Led Steer & Heifer (Commercial) competition Champion Led Steer was exhibited by Mo and Charlene Pedersen with Champion Led Heifer being exhibited by the Godfrey Family.
Poultry chief steward Keith Waugh said there was a record number of entries in the poultry pavilion with over 400 birds be- ing entered.
“It was absolutely full here were 47 exhibitors, with 19 Juniors showing poultry in 65 en- tries,” Mr Waugh said.
“Around 40 different breeds were exhibited with good qual- ity of fowls on show.
The Grand Champion Bird of Show was exhibited by Keith Waugh & Son and was an Old English Wheaten Bantam cockerel.
The Malanda Showgrounds hosted over 100 horses on site for the duration of the event.
Horse chief steward Niki Collins said he horse events at the Malanda Show were very well supported with competitors coming far and wide from Cape York to Rockhampton to compete.
“With over $4,200 in prize money up for grabs in the showjumping competition was fierce,” she said.
In an exciting and close event, Mareeba local Kelly Buckingham and her warm- blood gelding Finch Farm Cornetto took out the 120cm Grand Prix, on a Chris Duffy designed course.
“Showjumping judge Trevor Hyatt commented that the Malanda Show showjumping events had even more entries than the Townsville Show,” she said.
Kymberlee Cockrem, riding Newington Birthday Girl, won Supreme Champion Hack of the Show as well as Supreme Led Exhibit with Miss Roadshow.
