Hotel on cards

Harry finds his calling

EARLY mornings and cleaning out the stalls is all part of the fun for young cattle showing enthusiast Harry Worker.

The 11-year-old is one of a number of young people who will put their skills to the test in the ring today at the Royal Hobart Show in the junior cattle handler competition.

Harry, who lives with his family on their property at Patersonia in the state’s North, started showing cattle about 12 months ago.

Now he has his sights firmly set on establishing his own stud.

“That’s what I’d really like,” he said.

“I didn’t know much about cattle when I first started. It’s a good experience though and it can be easy to do.”

Today Harry will team up with Murray Grey heifer Gretel in the handler classes.

The heifer is owned by Rebekah Henri and Richard Goss, who run the Fire-Ro Park Stud at Exeter.

“I’ll get up at six and clean out the stalls,” Harry said.

“Then I’ll give her a wash and blow dry her and then get myself ready.”

If they are successful today, Harry and Gretel could earn themselves a spot in the state junior handler championships later this season.

Bridging the city and country divide is part of the show’s new focus and Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania chief executive Scott Gadd said having young people involved was critical.

“It’s absolutely crucial because those young cattle han- dlers and judges are the future and without them we won’t have a show,” he said.

“Not only that, but they’re the ones that do all the work.

“They’re in the sheds cleaning out the stalls, washing the cattle and getting them ready and leading them because the owners can’t do it all.”

Going forward, Mr Gadd said he could see a time when there would be less show bags and rides at the show.

“It’s starting now, it is declining with the cost of getting across Bass Strait,” he said.

“I think what we need to look at is how we transition around that.

“It will be a gradual thing and I think it’s important that we get the balance right of the audience we have.”

After a slow start, Mr Gadd said he was happy with yesterday’s crowd.

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