Written by Helen De Costa. The Harris Farm Markets Herefords Australia National Youth expo, media sponsor.
Wagga Wagga’s Charlotte Nugent has made her Herefords Australia National Youth expo debut one to remember, securing two grand champion titles.
The 22-year-old was named grand champion parader and grand champion junior judge after competing against four other age champions in each competition for the two top titles.
Miss Nugent said it was her first time claiming the top title at a national youth show for paraders, while having been named grand champion junior judge at the Angus Youth Roundup earlier this year.
“It was really nice to get out there when I haven’t been to a Hereford expo before and to do so well at my first one as a senior was pretty exciting,” she said.
“I actually only started showing cattle when I was in Year 7 with the school program and built up from there.
“I’ve just met so many amazing people and made so many connections in the industry.”
In the junior judging, Miss Nugent won the grand champion banner over pee wee champion, Jock McDonald, Tarcutta, junior champion Lucy Godbolt, Wodonga, Vic, sub-intermediate champion, Luca Compton, Cherrybrook, intermediate champion, Matilda Cronin, Narromine and the senior champion, Tabitha Manson, Mewry, Vic.
In the paraders classes judge Kate Loudon, Dubbo, said there were five confident paraders as her age group champions.
“Our senior parader had a heifer that has continually come out of the ring for the last three classes,” she said.
“So to keep her nice and calm and actually moving around is really pleasing as well.
“I’m really proud of all five of these paraders out here and I think you’d be able to throw them on any animal and they’d do a really great job.”
Brodie Scott, Invergowrie, claimed the pee wee champion paraders title, with The Lagoon’s Max White named junior champion, Max Humphries, Oberon, the sub-intermediate champion, Canowindra’s Jack Smyth the intermediate champion and Miss Nugent the senior champion, prior to claiming the grand champion paraders banner.
In the cattle classes it was Sugarloaf Jewell U174, led by Mackinley Klippel, Towong, who was named grand champion female of the show.
The young nine-month-old female progressed from the junior female championship to compete against the intermediate champion female, Rayleigh Queenie U121, led by Florance McDonald, Canowindra and the senior champion female, Llandillo Blush U43, led by Fletcher Hall, Gunningbland.
Judge Scott Myers said the grand champion was a standout female when she came into the ring.
This is the second time the Jewell female line has claimed a champion ribbon for the Klippel family at a national Hereford youth expo, with Mackinley’s brother Layne, winning junior champion female two years ago with a sister of Jewell U174.
Sugarloaf stud principal Andrew Klippel said the dam of Jewell U174, Sugarloaf Jewell M120 has breed well for the family operation.
“We picked her – Jewell U174 – as the cow breeds well every year, you go up the paddock and they just standout,” he said.
“She’s one of the first calves we have by Glenwarrah Marshall R276 and this is her first outing.”
Queensland’s Drew Weller claimed the grand champion herdsman title, winning a clipping schute donated by Kianma Poll Herefords, Forbes.
Other special award winners included Emily Taylor, Quipolly, who was announced the most potential breeder award, receiving a heifer JTR Golden Vanity U034, with Drew Weller also being named the runner-up, receiving semen to Harvie OVHF Medcalfe 55J, both donated by JTR Cattle Company, Roslyn.
Lola Quirk, Forbes, received most improved novice for the show, while William Van Gend, O’Connell, received the Wild Bear Scholarship to the South Australian Heifer Expo late this year.
Two schools were announced winners of the school steers competition, the first being Condobolin High School, along with Yanco Agricultural High School, both receiving a steer donated by Kirraweena Glenholme Hereford stud, Cootamundra.
Tabby Cross, Indigo Valley, Vic, was the winner of two special awards throughout the show, with one being the Jason Sutherland award and the Herefords Australia travel scholarship.
Grand champion female Sugarloaf Jewell U174, with cattle judge Scott Myers, The Rock, Mackinley Klippel, 11, Towong, Vic and Olivia Pearce, Herefords Australia.
Grand champion parader Charlotte Nugent, Wagga Wagga, with Antony Williams, Harris Farm Markets, paraders judge Kate Louden, Dubbo and Geoff Bush, Glenholme Kirraweena Herefords, Cootamundra.
