Stud cattle breeders take out blue ribbons at show
THERE was plenty of strong competition in the stud cattle at the Toowoomba Show this year. Rural Weekly caught up with a few breeders to provide a taste of some of the breed champions and what their breeders enjoyed most about showing cattle.
DROUGHTMASTER
SHARON Harm won Grand Champion Female for the droughtmasters. She also won the calf class and Female Calf Champion. Her female was the youngest to win grand champion overall.
Ms Harm said she couldn’t have done it without her team of helpers.
Rhiannon Rhodes is a third-year vet student at Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. She is on a 10-day work placement.
Hannah Holmes is also a third-year vet student at UQ in Gatton. She and her brother, Alex, have been helping Ms Harm since 2013.
Hannah and Alex also run Semloh Junior Droughtmaster Stud in Warwick.
Ms Harm is the stud principal at Oakmore Park Droughtmaster Stud in Greenmount.
“We do a few shows a year but we’re predominantly seed stock producers,” she said.
“Showing is a vessel for marketing, plus it’s very enjoyable.
“It’s giving our young people the opportunity to work with the cattle and the camaraderie that comes with it.”
SOUTH DEVON
SOUTH devons are not a breed commonly seen at the show. Kath and James McUtchen won Grand Champion Bull this year.
“I think it’s the first time the south devons are here at the Toowoomba Show in about 20 years,” Mrs McUtchen said.
“This is our first time showing this stud.
“We had a south devon bull and we used him over our commercial herd.
“We were showing cross-bred steers and then it just developed into a south devon stud.”
The McUtchens run Jambil South Devons, Diamondy, 20km north of Jandowae.
“We chose the south devons because of their docility, despite their size,” Mrs McUtchen said.
“Their temperament is really good, especially around our four kids.”
Mrs McUtchen said they enjoyed coming to the Toowoomba Show for a number of reasons.
“I guess it’s our way of catching up with people during the year,” she said.
“And they’re (south devons) not commonly known, so it’s a good way to show them off.”
WITH 20 years’ experience showing cattle, Marty Rowlands won Senior Champion, Grand Champion and Champion Simmental Exhibit with his simmental bull this year.
“I first began as an ag student,” Mr Rowlands said.
“I was 15 when I started my stud. Way back then I wasn’t into sports at school, so I did this (show cattle) as an extracurricular.
“I saved up and with my first tax return bought my first cattle.”
Mr Rowlands runs KBV Simmental Stud at Murphys Creek.
“This is a business for me now,” he said.
“Toowoomba Show is our local show, so this year it’s really about education for the stock going to Beef Australia, as well as supporting our show.”
❝Showing is a vessel for— marketing, plus it’s very enjoyable.
Sharon Harm