It’s the time of year when the students of Camden Haven High School come down with a bout of “sash-rash” – from earning so many ribbons at country agricultural shows.
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The team competed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Wauchope Show coming home with plenty of impressive results for the students and cattle.
Agriculture teachers Mark Hickson and Emma Cutler said they were impressed with the students’ dedicated effort and many hours spent behind the scenes preparing for these shows.
Miss Cutler feels the greatest win was the students’ teamwork, leadership and ability to overcome issues to achieve success as a team.
“The week spent at the Sydney Royal Easter Show is always a fantastic experience for students to compete at a high level and learn about the beef industry,” Miss Cutler said.
“Senior students were selected to represent the school in the competition. Anneliese Knaack of year 11 was the nominated School Parader in the Sydney Royal Easter Show School Parading Competition, and placed fourth in the state. An outstanding result the whole team is proud of.
“The school exhibited two steers – Fauna a Limousin steer bred by the school and Softie, a Hereford bred by a local breeder. Both steers held their own among the very competitive line up steers.”
Camden Haven High students also competed at the Wauchope Show in the school holidays, with a team ranging from the newest recruits in year 7 to senior students in year 11 and year 12.
“There were many ribbons, with the team showing a line of steers predominantly out of our school herd,” Miss Cutler said.
“Storm, a Hereford x Limousin steer was named Supreme Champion Hastings Bred Animal, impressing the judge Penny Sloeman with his muscle and even fat coverage.”
Mr Hickson and Miss Cutler were very pleased with the direction of the school herd.
“Being able to have the students involved in the breeding, selecting of sires provides our students with a hands-on experience which gives them a range skills to work in the Beef Industry in the future,” Mr Hickson said.
“Showing our school-bred steers in carcass competitions is really rewarding, allowing the students to be accountable and fully involved in the direction of our cattle team.”
The team were awarded the Best Maintained and Presented School Team at Wauchope, winning $250 generously donated by Drury’s Stockfeed.
“The team exhibited the cattle and our area professionally and impressed the judges with their respect and leadership within the team,” Mr Hickson said.
Both Mr Hickson and Miss Cutler were very proud of the hard work and countless hours spent behind the scenes from the students.
“The leadership shown by senior students at Wauchope Show in particular was outstanding,” Miss Cutler said.
“The team puts a lot of time and effort into our show cattle and are very successful. However the ‘wins’ that are really important to us are the way the team supports each other and works together. To have the students’ hard work acknowledged at Wauchope Show was a really proud moment.”
The team last week competed in the beef cattle and meat judging competitions at Wingham Beef Week, where the students entered the junior judging, parading and ICMJ Meat Judging competitions.
The team is showing a line of steers and a heifer out of the school herd, which team and teachers are very proud of.