Udder disaster awaits milking wild bunch
PUT it this way. When a wild cow doesn’t want to be milked, she doesn’t want to be milked.
The wild cow milking competition is being held today at the Annual Etheridge Show and Forsayth Turnout.
The cows, straight out of the lancewood and wattle of the south- east Gulf Country’s Newcastle Range, won’t be taking to this milking with a great deal of enthusiasm. In fact, it is likely any enthusiasm they have will be directed at the people trying to squeeze some milk from their reluctant udders. These aren’t exactly docile friesians, used to being milked twice a day. These are bush brahmans.
For those trying to do the milking, it is a fight for survival. Roman emperors kept the blood lust of the masses satiated by feeding them hot dogs and beer while they watched lions and bears tearing Christians apart in the colosseum.
Nothing like that at Forsayth of course ( well, not that we know of), but wild cow milking comes a close second. Basically, it’s ringers and backpackers versus wild cows.
At Forsayth yesterday it was all about barrel racing and other horse sports. Clayton Pedracini and Willy Bethel were out scouring the bush for feral porkers for today’s greasy pig spectacular. This morning in Forsayth pint- sized humans from all parts of North Queensland will be crawling out of their swags, pulling on their cowboy boots and tightening their belts in preparation for a gallop across the rocks in pursuit of the wily porkers.
If you are a betting person, put your money on the wild cows and feral pigs being first past the post.