By Benjamin Bowman
220 students from 14 different schools competed in the Northern Schools Steer Competition at the Manilla showground on the 16th and 17th of November.
Students participated in parading steers, Junior Judging and had their animals judged to find the best steer on the day.
This was the 34th year that the competition was run. Schools from the Northern Schools network take turns running the competition. This year it was run by Ben Bowman from Peel High School and Martin McCabe from Tamworth High School. The idea behind it is to provide students an opportunity to participate in a steer show run by schools for schools. This allows us to run it at a more relaxed pace were student learning and participation and learning are the focus.
For many students this was their first time showing cattle. Paraders Judge Miss Dominique Wyse said ‘it was great to see the students involved in paraders and junior judging. These up and coming competitors are showing great promise to the future of the Ag Industry’.
The champion parader was William Wright from Glenn Innes High School.
Steers were judged by their weight category either lightweights, Middleweights or heavy weight. The steer Judge was Mr Alex Clydesdale from McColloch agencies in Tamworth. He commented on the quality of the cattle and how well the students had prepared the steers for competition.
He awarded the Champion steer on the Hoof to Tenterfields high school heavyweight steer ‘Bo Bo’. Tenterfeild High School also won the unled cattle section.
On Thursday students judged 3 Classes of animals and the top students made into the final of the Junior Judging. In the final the student had to speak on how they placed the animals and why. The champion Judge was awarded to Ryan Guy from Peel High School.
The cattle were loaded onto trucks and sent to Teys in Tamworth and NH foods at Whigham. The steer carcases will be judged and this will be combined with the results from the live judging to find the champion animal of the Competition.
It was great to hold the event at the manilla Showgrounds and many schools commented on how lovely the community at Manilla is.
Thank you to:
- M and M stockyards Manilla who donated the use of their truck to move and set up livestock handling equipment so that we could handle the animals safely
- Manilla Team Penning club for the use of their facilities
- TRC Manilla Branch for accommodating the needs of our competition
- McCulloch Agencies Tamworth for the transferring of Stock and judging the animals
- Teys Tamworth for sponsoring a bbq for the students and use of facilities for Carcase judging
- NH foods Whigham for use of facilities for Carcase judging
Thankyou to our sponsors Furneys Tamworth, Nutrien Tamworth, Hazzels farm and fertiliser Tamworth and Elders Tamworth for providing prizes for the student.
Junior judging
12/13yrs
1st Jason James from Bonalbo Central School
2nd Grace kreinberg from Armidale Secondary College
3rd Jasmine Klinger from Glen Innes High school
4th loclin smith from Bonalbo Central School
5th Toby Cover from Bingara Central School
6th Mattiea Jordan from Peel High School
14/15 yrs
1st Ryan Guy from Peel High School
2nd Ivy Pritchard from Walcha
3rd Amelia Kelly from Armidale Secondary College
4th Zoe Allan from Bingara Central School
5th Isabella Mooney from Walcha
6th Aaliyah Snape from Armidale Secondary College
16 and over
1st Sharnni Schoots from Hastings
2nd Jed McCowen from Tenterfield
3rd Charlie watt from Tenterfield
4th Ashley Donnelly from Guyra
5th Tully Naylor from Maclean High School
6th George Hicks from Farrer
Grand Champion Junior Judge- Ryan Guy from Peel High School
Reserve champion Ivy Pritchard from Walcha
Paraders results
12/13 yrs
1st William Wright from Glen Innes
2nd Mattiea Jordan from Peel High school
3rd Ilyssa Newbury from Glen Innes High School
4th Zara Kesby from Peel High School
5th Addison Dickson from Bingara Central School
6th Cameron Russell from Peel High School
14/15 yrs
1st Khloe edwards from Inverell
2nd Paige Parker from Tenterfield
3rd Nash Schrader from Maclean
4th Eden Kiminski from Cultivate At
5th Isabell Atkins from Walcha
6th Alex Wright from Glen Innes
16 an d over
1st Bailey Whitton from cultivate at
2nd Isabell Kesby from Peel High school
3rd Charlotte Mooney from Walcha
4th Olivia Haslem from Walcha
5th Chloe Moss from Peel High School
6th Ellie Mitchell from Guyra
Grand champion William Wright
Reserve champion Khloe Edwards
Steer Results:
Light weight Champion – ‘Paddington’ from Tenterfeild High
Middle weight Champion – ‘Savage’ From Walcha Central School
Heavy Weight Champion – ‘Bo Bo’ from Tenterfeild High
Overall Champion ‘Bo-Bo’ from Tenterfeild High
