Primary Industry leaders save the day for Chev Show Team

The cancellation of the Sydney Royal Easter Show was a major blow to the Chevalier College Show Team who had been working hard since October 2019 to prepare their steers for the competition. With determination and support from generous industry leaders, the students were given a chance to see the project through.

Report by Hayley Mahoney

With the Sydney Royal Show cancelled, we were in limbo with what to do with our steers. We had had them since October 2019. They deserved a chance to be in a competition. We had spent so much time, effort and money on feed. 

Colin Say and Co, in conjunction with Woolworths and Wingham Beef Exports, put together a hook competition, with the same market specs and timing as Sydney Royal.

It was disappointing that the RAS could not accommodate this part of the competition, so we were very grateful when Colin Say and Co, stock and station agents based in Glen Innes, came to the rescue.

As a team we discussed selling them at the Moss Vale sale yards and Pat Cleary at Elders was prepared to assist us with this. We could either enter two of them in the South Coast Beef Spectacular or enter the Colin Say and Co competition. We decided that we wanted to see the project through and therefore sent the stock to Tamworth for the hook competition. The students had raised money through the Return and Earn system and wanted to dedicate a chunk of that to the truck fee.

The six steers left Chev, safely with our dedicated truck driver, Colin Davies on a Thursday and spent four days at Palmerston Stud in Gloucester to break up the trip. We were very grateful to the Square Meater stud for looking after ‘the boys’ for a few days. The steers then went to Tamworth, thanks to Tim Norrie, on the Sunday. Two were entered as trade steers, two as pure bred steers and went to Woolworths at Tamworth. The two heavy steers went to Wingham Beef Export at Wingham.

Numerous private studs and schools entered their steers for the competition, including Frensham.

We were told by many at the yards that the steers from Chev, as a whole, were brilliant. Tennessee Whiskey, a Santa Gertrudis steer from Keigho, was a stand-out. Our best result was from our steer ‘Rusty’, a Square Meater from Howard Lister, Palmerston Stud, Gloucester. He came in 5th place. This steer also won first place and champion light weight steer at Robertson Show.

We would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to RB Simmentals, Wagga Wagga; Palmerston Stud, Gloucester; Keigho Stud, Gunnedah; and Cadfor Murray Greys, Binda.