Youth are MOO-ving in

Young dairy enthusiasts have been back in action this month with some exciting camps taking place across the country. Last week, Western Australia and Queensland held youth events for the first time since the global pandemic caused the mass cancellation of shows last year.

Committee member and mentor of the WA Youth Cattle Handlers Camp, Katandra Park’s Lachlan Fry says “it’s really great to see all the enthusiasm and interest and to know the camps are very much still relevant”.

It was the 16^th year running for the WA Youth Cattle Handlers Camp and it has run consecutively until last year when the event was cancelled 3 weeks out.

The two-day event hosted 100 kids between 8 to 18 years old, educating them on topics such as cattle-handling skills in and out of the show ring, health and nutrition, public speaking, judging and safety.

Mr Fry says “it’s great to be able to have a youth camp given what we’ve gone through the last year and to see the kids out there taking notes, learning and getting involved is something really special.”

Attending the combined all-breeds dairy and beef camp were approximately 20 dairy participants and organisers say not all who attended were from farming backgrounds.

Mr Fry says “our main aim is to expose more kids to the cattle industry and approximately 50% of the youth at the camp were not necessarily farming families”.

As well as overseeing the camp show, judge Mal Nikora from ST Genetics offered up tips and pointers on the day to the enthusiastic participants.

Camp attendees were capped at 100 and within 2 days of registrations opening, all spots were snapped up.

“Normally we are completely booked in the first few days and this year was no exception” says Lachlan.

 We would like to thank Farm West, ST Genetics and all our sponsors and say a big thankyou to all the kids and the volunteers for pulling it all together. It wouldn’t have been possible without them” says Mr Fry.