AMY Copland is hoping to return to the show ring at this year's Royal Melbourne Show and will bring a wealth of overseas experience to her beef cattle showing.
Ms Copland, who grew up at Lake Charm where her family harvests salt to sell primarily for livestock feed and runs a commercial Angus, Santa Gertrudis and Angus-Santa herd, is currently in the UK where she has visited a range of farms and has done stewarding and an associate judging spot at the Royal Three Counties Show.
Her five-month overseas adventure, made possible by a scholarship awarded to her and another Tocal College, NSW, student, has been so rewarding thanks to the contacts she has made who have welcomed her onto their farms and to their industry workshops and shows.
Clive Davies of Westwood Herefords, for example, introduced her to others in the industry and helped organise visits to different farms and people and involvement at different shows.
At the Royal Three Counties Show, Ms Copland judged the Murray Grey cattle and the All Other Breeds competition with Jim Barber, did stewarding of sheep (including of breeds she had never heard of) and helped with the young handlers' competitions.
"After these (shows), I went to more agricultural shows than I ever had in mind! The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Ashby, Royal Welsh, Tenbury Wells and the North Devon - each led onto another," she said.
She helped various studs, including Normanton Polled Herefords, Church Preen Herefords, Glympton Farms Angus and Garradon Ruby Red Devons, prepare and show cattle at these competitions.
"There are less Akubras and more white coats in cattle shows in the UK compared to Australia," she said.
Ms Copland also went to Ireland for a weekend during which she participated in youth workshops at two different Angus studs and visited three Hereford studs.
She travelled with Mr Barber across Ireland, scribing fat scores and other information of the cattle he scanned for Breedplan.
Biosecurity is also a big concern for UK farmers, she observed.
"With the big, contentious Tuberculosis issue in the UK, pre-movement testing of cattle going to shows where they will be housed for more than 24 hours is compulsory."
This year, she hopes to be back in Australia in time to help prepare the heifers Kerang Technical High School (KTHS) staff and students are taking to the Royal Melbourne Show.
It was at KTHS her passion for showing and judging beef cattle was sparked and nurtured, and is particularly thankful to beef industry figure Bruce Anderson, who taught the VET Ag course part-time, for encouraging her.
"His passion for it was infectious and showing-judging was something I really enjoyed doing and learning more about.
"Breaking in, feeding and showing steers donated from breeders led onto a number of us doing VET Ag to undertake the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. KTHS led a pilot program in the skill section of the Award, where 'beef cattle judging' was introduced."
She showed KTHS steers at the Royal Melbourne Show for a few years and at the Bendigo National Beef Expo, and also competed in junior judging competitions. She has also been an associate judge at local agricultural shows, including Barham, NSW, Cohuna and Kerang.
"I really relish showing and judging cattle - it's fun, something different and there's always more to take in and learn. I want to keep on with it and see where else I can go!"
