Local Students Win With Fat Cattle

ST Joseph’s High School have taken out the 2018 Herdsperson competition at the Royal Queensland Show, affectionately known as EKKA, showing cattle in their best fattened condition – a sight for sore eyes for many producers during the drought.

See photos below.

St Joseph’s Winners of the Herdsperson Award: Back L-R: Annika Whale, Daisy Ratatagia, Sophie Inder, Adam Simpson, Maddie Burgin, Jayde Tuckerman, Laura Keegan, Travis Lamey, Bailey Anderson, Mason Constable, Ksyla McIntyre, Lisa Bright Caleb Gee. Front: Katie Sutcliffe, Danika Peters, Emily Fear, Sarah Keegan and Millie Harris.

The herdsperson competition is judged on public relations, the display, cleanliness of the stalls and the animals.

Lisa Bright, agricultural teacher for St Joseph’s said she was proud of the students and credits their dedication and team approach for the win.

“I just think we have a really good group of kids and the five year 11 students mentor the four year 8 students and lead them,” said Ms Bright.

“The kids put in a lot of effort and we spent a lot of time outside of school spending most Sundays throughout the year,” she said.

“The kids hang out together, build relationships and come up with different ideas, so our display changed,” she said.

“Last year we came sixth and we were really shirty,” laughed Lisa

“So we changed things and the same lady as last year judged the herdsman and recognised we’d put in a lot of effort,” she said.

“The kids are hungry for success and want to build on what we do, they are really driven and want to do well,” Lisa Bright said.

Today the students will compete in the open against professionals and Lisa said she is excited to see how they measure up.

“We’ve got some really good cattle, we’ll be really competitive in the open and I think the kids realise that,” she said.

“The cattle are in great condition because they have been on the feedlot for so long it is hilarious,” she laughed.

“The producers were in the other day and it is so dry they are feeding cattle that are skin and bone, but to see cattle that they have produced that are in prime condition is a great thing to see at the moment,” Lisa Bright said.

Other results at the show:

• Second place in the junior judging, the team of three: Travis Lamey, Kyla McIntyre and Sarah Keegan competed against 30 other teams;
• Katie Sutcliffe placed 7th in the junior paraders;
• Jayde Tuckerman placed 6th in the senior paraders;
• Fourth place in junior steers with a Rouchel steer from Graham and Kim Clydsdale, and
• Seven of the 16 students from St Joseph’s made it through to the finals in the paraders.