A young Victorian farmer is continuing his late father's legacy this week at the 59th National Hereford Show and Sale in Wodonga.
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Twenty-year-old Tom Baulch, Illowa, became stud co-principal at Jaclinton Poll Herefords when his late father, Clinton, passed away suddenly in 2022.
The apprentice boilermaker will show and sell three of the stud's best bulls at the well-known Wodonga event, taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.
He runs the stud alongside his mother Jacquie and sister Indianna, not far from Warrnambool.
Speaking to Stock & Land while prepping his bulls for the show ring, Mr Baulch said the national was a "family affair" and his "favourite week of the year".
The youngster will be joined by his mother, sister, girlfriend, uncle and cousin at the event.
It will be his eleventh year participating and his third as stud co-principal.
"I'm the youngest exhibitor by about 30 years," he quipped.
He said he had been "pretty lucky" that his late dad had involved him in the Hereford breed from a young age, where he grew his passion for them.
"I fell in love with it," he said.
"I always want to keep improving our program, trying to use the best semen.
"I'd love to keep doing this for the rest of my life."
Mr Baulch was running 100 stud breeding cows and each year, sold 25 bulls, coming two years old, the majority direct off farm.
He said while he had brought his best to Wodonga, there were also some great sires sold to local Victorian buyers in recent months.
"You have to spread them around," he said.
The three bulls presented by Jaclinton Herefords this week at the show and sale included Lot 125, Jaclinton Treasure TAIT025, Lot 104, Jaclinton Tyson TAIT020 and Lot 102, Jaclinton Sundance TAIT021.
"I'm really excited by these three we have up here," Mr Baulch said.
"Hopefully they show well tomorrow and most importantly, sell well then as well.
"I'm pretty excited to see how they go."
The Illowa native was no stranger to quality Hereford cattle.
In a feat beyond his years, he bought the top-priced bull at the Yavenvale Herefords, Adelong, New South Wales, stud sale back in February.
Bidding over the phone, Mr Baulch bought Yavenvale Trump Card T350 for $96,000.
"That bull really caught our eye in the flesh with really good sire appeal, and the pedigree with his mother being a great donor cow, plus his great data," he said.
He said the bull was being used to improve the herd, in the direction he wanted to take it for the future.
The sale topper was by the New Zealand sire Limehills Streaker 150368 and out of a Tobruk Maverick daughter.
"He will be joined to heifers in June for a March calving, and to mature cows in July, and we will also market the semen," Mr Baulch said.
He said it was nerve wracking bidding over the phone for such a high-priced bull.
"I knew I would have to dig in a little if I was going to be the successful bidder - I'm definitely glad we got him," he said.
On his career as a stud principal and his efforts at Wodonga, Mr Baulch said he had "plenty of support from everyone around me".
He said he was proud to be able to continue the work of his father.
