A good eye for cattle wins second state title
Athlone has its own cattle guru with 18year-old Patrick Anderson taking out the state dairy judge title for the second consecutive year.
Patrick has grown up in cattle circles and he is using his good eye for cattle to his advantage in the judging ring.
During recent International Dairy Week events, Patrick won the Victorian Agricultural Shows’ dairy judging competition for the second year.
Last year was Patrick’s first attempt at the state title and he has backed it up at this year’s event with another win, taking out the junior 16 to 25-year-old title.
He also was named second in the IDW handling competition.
After last year’s event, Patrick went on to national judging in Adelaide where he was placed third.
This year’s state title will see him Perth bound in September for the national titles.
Patrick is this year juggling year 12 study commitments at Marist-Sion College and his passion for cattle.
He has developed his own herd and stud, Kings Veldt Jersey, while also helping out on the family property Kings Vista Jersey owned by his parents Lindsay and Jacinta Anderson.
Patrick has been around cattle since he was young, developing a confidence in handling cattle at local shows from a young age.
He has a good eye for cattle and has an ability to separate the good from the bad.
But his father Lindsay said he certainly hadn’t been pushed into it. “It tends to be a family trait – give them a halter and then let them go.”
“Patrick always wanted to help with our cattle as well as others,” he said.