Events Page

2006 RYAG BEEF CAMP by Jodie Pauli     (photo below)

Achievement!……Dust!……Fun!

At the Braford Educational Weekend held in Boonah on the 26th & 27th February 2006 I was awarded the Ambassador Award, for high achievement over the two days. As part of this award, I was given the opportunity to travel to Coonabarabran and attend the 2006 Rotary Youth in Agriculture (RYAG) beef Camp. (18th – 22nd October)

October come and I left home (Nobby) and travelled from Toowoomba to Coonabarabran by bus. It was an exciting experience being dropped off in the middle of NSW, knowing I’d be the only Queenslander, and not knowing anybody. (All the other attending students were from around New South Wales) The nerves settled however, as I was warmly greeted by many new smiling faces.

The camp quickly got underway, with us firstly making rope halters, then being paired up and delegated an animal. (provided by Chadwick Downs & DSK) Our job was to turn these unhandled, unbroken beasts into quiet, paraded, show ring glamour’s, with in a matter of only days!! These seemingly endless daily breaking in sessions with our cattle, brought some thrilling experiences and some great bruises!

During the camp, we were given informational talks on subjects such as Yard Safety, Pastures, Feeding of Stud & Show Cattle, Herd Management, Animal Health, Poisons, Biodiversity, Diseases and Auctioneering to name just a few. We also visited Kevin & Wendy Ballcock’s commercial cattle set up at “Maldanna” and Lill Family property at “Barina” (Chadwick Downs Cattle Co) where we had sessions on Artificial Insemination & Embryo Transplant along with viewing two different aged calf foetuses. Following this, we enjoyed a split dinner, courtesy of the Lill Family, followed by a mock auction where we were given a budget and scenario to work from in making our purchases. The top price bull sold for $52,000.00, with groups giving some particularly interesting explanations on their decisions afterwards.

In addition to this, we attended a semi-formal dinner, with Rotarians, sponsors and others involved with the camp.

Throughout the five days, the instructors organised a variety of “stress-relieving” activities, including lube wrestling and various ball games. With one particular ball game getting a little too close to the power lines, resulting in a power outage in the showgrounds of Coonabarabran. All this excitement, while not forgetting the evening “state of origin” matches we played, kept us all enthused for our next lectures and breaking in sessions.

The final day really tested our progress, with everyone washing, grooming, clipping and leading their cattle out into the show ring. All proved successful however, with both cattle and handlers fulfilling these tasks. After the parading of animals, was presentation of awards, where I was honoured to receive the Champion Herdsman award. This award recognised the “best all round student in; parading ability, animal handling, grooming, future potential in the industry, personal tidiness, co-operation, attitude, care of animal and general knowledge of cattle”.

On the completion of the camp and lots of hugs, I enjoyed the generous hospitality of John (Camp Director) & Trish Sawyer for my final night in NSW, before catching the bus the following morning back to QLD.

Overall, the camp was definitely another RYAG success, reflecting the great organization and support of everyone who helped make it as successful and enjoyable as it was one that I feel privileged to have been part of. I take this opportunity to thank all. A special thank you also goes to the South East Qld Braford Group for allowing me to be a part of this awesome experience!

The camp was certainly one never to be forgotten, with each of us taking away a mountain of knowledge, experience, confidence, good memories and life long friends!

Love & Cows………Jodie Pauli;

Richard Wins National Young Judges Title

Richard Murphy is a young man with a keen eye for cattle, and the years of showing cattle, going to breed societies youth camps and competing in young judges competitions are now paying off.

Richard is 18 years of age and is the sixth generation to grow up on his family’s farming and grazing property at Mt Walker in the Bremer Valley 40 kilometres south west of Ipswich. Richard is currently studying Agribusiness at the University of Queensland’s Gatton Campus. The Murphy family have been exhibiting their Stud Braford cattle at shows for twenty years and along with his two brothers, Richard has been helping out with the cattle from a very early age.

Richard entered his first young judges competition in 1998 at the age of 11 at the Gatton show. In 1999 he attended his first Santa Gertrudis National Junior Show and within 4 months had won his first young judges competition at the Marburg Show. In 2003 at 15 years of age Richard won the regional young judges final for the West Moreton and Brisbane Valley Sub-Chamber and earnt himself the opportunity to represent this region at the Queensland Country Life Young Beef Cattle Judges State Final held at the Brisbane Royal Show that same year.

Just 2 years later Richard once again represented his region at Brisbane and this time he won. This gave him the opportunity to represent Queensland in the National Young Stud Beef Cattle Judging competition in the following year. This was quite an achievement for the 17 year old considering the event is open to competitors up to the age of 25.

On the 1st of October 2006, Richard travelled to Western Australia to the Perth Royal Show to compete against other young judges from the 6 states around Australia. Competitors were required to judge 3 classes of 4 head and choose to speak on 1 of these three classes. The classes consisted of Simmental and Red Angus heifers as well as Hereford bulls. When the results where announced the Victorian representative placed third, the Western Australia placed second and despite placing the cattle differently to the over judge, Richard was announced as the winner and the National Young Stud Beef Cattle Judging champion of 2006.

The experience of competing in Brisbane and Perth has given Richard enhanced confi dence and desire to complete his degree at UQ Gatton and persue a career with progressive Agri-business within the beef cattle industry.