Helix Red Polls
Melissa Neal
P O Box 768
Lilydale VIC 3140
Email:
gneal@melbpc.org.au
National Red Poll Youth Award 2005
The National Red Poll Youth
Award provides a wonderful opportunity for a Junior Member to attend the South
Australia Junior Heifer Expo at the Wayville Showground,
The weekend preceding the expo I spent with Peter and Kristen Wilson at Oakwood and it was great to see their cattle and property, as well as getting to know Oakwood Princess Cheddar, the heifer I was able to take to the expo.
There were 146 participants from 8 to 23 years of age and representing 17 breeds who attended the four day event. This included four Red Polls, 2 Maleer steers, exhibited by Tom Malone and Denise Priest, an Oakwood school steer lead by Prue Darling and the Oakwood heifer.
The first day was an educational program which included lectures on nutrition, marketing, structural soundness and some age groups covered steer assessment, diseases, low stress cattle handling, AI or clipping.
As a senior competitor I chose to participate in the Herdsman Competition, in which we were judged on a number of different areas throughout the four days. Points were allocated for an interview, public speaking, parading and presentation of heifer, stall presentation, clipping, a knowledge quiz, person presentation, co-operation and attitude, how well we assisted and taught our under 12 year old buddy, a marketing assignment and junior judging. The marketing assignment was to design a twelve month marketing plan for a 40 bull on property auction sale and junior judging was based on a steer class, selecting animals ready for Adelaide Show which was a month away, and two heifer classes, one of which we spoke on. Senior competitors also gained accreditation from TAFE SA during the expo for the module 'Prepare livestock for competition'.
A few results from the
Heifer Show: I was very pleased to be announced as Reserve Champion for the
Senior Marketing Assignment and in the most experienced Senior Handlers Class I
received a Merit Award for 4th place. Most of all I was thrilled to have
achieved 5th place overall in the Senior Herdsman Competition, against 18
competitors of a very high standard. Kathleen Ferme (Charolais) was the winner
of the Senior Herdsman Competition, receiving a four month beef study tour of
Thank you very much to the Australian Red Poll Cattle Breeders Inc. for enabling me to attend this highly regarded event and encouraging Red Poll members and cattle to be involved in the SA Junior Heifer Expo as I believe it is a good event for breed promotion. On that note, it was great to see one of the Junior Handlers classes was sponsored by the Red Poll Society and Graham Wohling presented the places for this class.
I am very grateful for all the time and effort Peter and Kristen put in to enable me to attend and thank them very much for their hospitality and the generous loan of their heifer and equipment. Thank you also to the many Red Poll breeders who have shared their support and encouragement, not only regarding the SA Heifer Show, but ever since I began working with the breed.
Melissa Neal
Helix Red Polls
Semex/Phoenix
Genetics Michigan State University Scholarship 2006
Australian Red Poll Cattle Breeders Inc.
Last updated: January 24th, 2006