Tight win for a victory
SEPARATING the two contenders for supreme champion parader at the Royal Melbourne Show dairy competition was “really splitting hairs”, according to judge John Gardiner.
In the end, the Holstein master breeder based his decision on how the two young men decided to set up their heifers after they were asked to move them slightly.
Mr Gardiner said the senior champion parader Kieran Coburn worked from the animal’s halter to get her rear legs set and her standing appropriately to be judged.
The junior champion parader, Jett Easterbrook, first went to the back of his heifer to set her stance.
Admitting it was a tough call, Mr Gardiner selected the older of the competitors, 16-year-old Kieran.
“It looks more tidy to work from the front to set an animal up,” he said.
Kieran, who is from Warncoort in western Victoria, said his decision to go to the halter first was “natural” and something he had always done when leading dairy animals.
“Pretty stoked” with his supreme parader title, this was the first time Kieran had won a major handlers award.
He was at the show helping family friend Neville Wilkie from Bacchus Marsh.
Kieran’s family operate Illawarra and Jersey studs Winganna and Linga.
Jett Easterbrook, 12, from Kyabram took out his second Melbourne Show junior champion parader award last week.
His love of showing comes from strong family ties.
“It has pretty well been in my family, on my Mum and Dad’s side,” he said.
The family connection was evident in the ring last week too, with bis twin brother, Ash, second in the handler class 10 to 12 years of age.
With the judges eyes watching carefully last week, Jett said he concentrated on his heifer’s topline.
Reserve senior champion parader was Sarah Lloyd from Kyabram, while reserve junior parader was Leah Dickson from Terang.