STIFF competition emerged in the Youth Showmanship Classes on yesterday afternoon at International Dairy Week, but Courtney Baird put on her best show to come out on top.
The 20 year-old from Nowra, NSW, said it was her third time competing in the event.
Matt Templeton, Gippsland, judged the line-up and presented Courtney with the senior champion handler gong.
“I’ve never even placed before,” she said.
On the day, Courtney led a Jersey heifer around the ring from the Gavenlock’s stud, Berry, NSW.
She said Brad and Jess Gavenlock had been great mentors in and out of the show ring, and had inspired her to take up the hobby.
At the moment, the keen youngster works on a 1500-cow dairy farm at Nowra and is completing a Certificate 4 in dairy management.
“I’m not actually from a farming background at all,” Courtney said.
An educational platform offering cattle showing at Eldersley High School also fuelled her passion.
“I worked on a small Jersey stud in Year 11 too,” she said.
“I like farming, but it’s the showing side of the industry that keeps me interested.”
Her ultimate goal is to land a job on a stud dairy farm.
In the intermediate class, Sophie Louden, Modella, secured the top spot.
The 16 year-old is a keen breeder and has her own stud, Arrowlea Holsteins.
She led Murribrook Dundee Pam around the ring, while judge Mr Templeton told the crowd that Sophie was the “most natural” in the contest.
But it wasn’t always like that, Sophie said.
“The first time I went in the competition, I went through the fence,” she said.
The teenager holds a particular penchant for the dairy industry and is hoping to study dairy science in the United States in the future.
In the junior showmanship class, Kaitlyn Wishart, Cohuna, was singled out for the trophy.
