Lochie McLauchlan is planning a big future in the Angus breed.
So much so that he went halves with his great-grandfather in a heifer worth $3775. And he’s only 15.
Lochie is showing plenty of leadership and promise in the Angus world, beating competitors much older than him at the recent Angus Youth National Roundup.
But his love of cattle started long ago. Lochie, “Glemormistion North”, Mortlake, says growing up around his parents’ Angus stud, PJ Cattle Co, encouraged his love of cattle.
“As I’ve grown up, I have always loved taking cattle to the shows,” he said.
Lochie said a lot of his success has been since he bought his heifer at a Coolana Angus stud dispersal sale last year. “We were driving around and my great-grandfather just saw her and said ‘that’s the one’,” he said.
Lochie said he has paraded the heifer at a number of shows, and a win at Colac show qualified him for the Victorian Agricultural Shows finals at Melbourne this year.
“I’ve learned different things, like general awareness,” he said. “But the fitting is what I really love. That is where my real passion is.”
Lochie said he has learned the skills from his mother Jo, and his sister Tiffany.
“She’s better than me,” he said.
“At shows, I’ve always watched what others do, and asked questions. I like behind the scenes stuff.”
And he’s pretty good at it too, winning the Melbourne Royal Gunfitter Competition. It is even better that he won it 10 years after his mother claimed the same title.
Lochie also had plenty of success at the National All Breeds Junior Heifer Show in Dubbo last year. After claiming second in the clipping competition, Lochie won the Tasmanian Junior Beef Expo scholarship, which included a trip to Tasmania. He also won champion parader at the South Australian heifer show in Adelaide.
“The best thing was meeting new people,” he said.
Lochie’s success continued at the Angus Youth Roundup this year, including winning sub-intermediate champion parader, as well as winning grand champion, even beating his big sister in the process. He also won best presented animal, as well as winning the Matthew George Scholarship award.
Lochie plans to have his own Angus stud, as well as being a stock agent.