Australia’s top young dairy cattle paraders have been selected for national finals in
prestigious agricultural competition

Agricultural Shows Australia, Media Release, 12 September 2024

Australia’s most promising paraders of dairy cattle have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia as eligible to compete in the national finals of the prestigious annual competition to be judged this month at Melbourne Royal Show.

The winner of the dairy cattle young paraders competition will be determined by who has best prepared, presented and paraded their animal before a judge.

Photos: Agricultural Shows Australia

The competition brings together the best young judges and paraders, aged 15 to 25, from each state. These participants qualify through success in regional and state competitions. The national championships are hosted in a different location each year. This year, the event will be held at the Melbourne Royal Show.

Representing Queensland is Rachel English, 23, from Malanda.

“I have been involved in the local paraders competitions since I was a few years old. This competition has greatly improved my skills and confidence as a leader as well as my ability to judge cattle and find the faults on the animal that I’m parading. My enjoyment from these competitions and showing dairy cattle has lead to me buying my own dairy cattle and starting my own stud. I now exhibit cows that I have bought and bred at my local shows,” English said.

Edward Dudfield, 16, from Somerset will be representing Tasmania. Edward qualified via the state final at Circular Head Show and has had success in many youth dairy competitions over the years.

Lucy Newman, 21, from Prospect Hill, will represent South Australia. She is competing in the national finals of both the dairy cattle and beef cattle paraders competition. She attributes her skills in these competition to the mentorship of her father and time spent on her family beef and dairy enterprise in Meadows, South Australia. Lucy has her own Ayrshire stud and is engaged with her family’s Angus stud ‘Newlyn Park Angus’ where she plays a key role in social media and marketing, particularly for annual bull sales.

“I have been very passionate about farming and showing from a young age, particularly inspired by the mentorship of her father. I started my own stud, Arabesque Ayrshires, that after winning an Ayrshire calf in the junior handlers competition at the Royal Adelaide Show in 2014. I am grateful to have had many successes with Ayrshires including winning reserve senior champion at International Dairy Week,” Newman said.

Newman desribed a ‘special full circle moment’ winning senior champion handler at the Royal Adelaide Show leading a granddaughter of the original Ayrshire heifer that she won at that sane show.

“I have always adored handlers competitions and feel lucky to be representing South Australia for both the beef and dairy cattle in the 2024 national paraders competition, it’s truly a bucket list moment,” Newman said.

Alexis Allen, 15, from Cobargo, will be representing New South Wales in the dairy young paraders competition. She has a strong connection to the dairy industry from her family farm near Bega.

“I love showing cows with my dad and I had the opportunity to go in the Sydney Royal Easter Show dairy cattle paraders competition and was fortunate to win champion and have the opportunity to go down to Melbourne to compete in the national competition.”

Sienna Ross, 17, from Katimatite is representing Victoria, having qualified at the state final at International Dairy Week.

“I live on a family dairy farm in the small town of Katamatite in northern Victoria. Through working on the farm my passion grew from a young age for showing dairy cows. I have been lucky enough for it to take me Australia- wide and even to the United States working.”

Murray Findlay, 21, from Albany is representing Western Australia. Murray has a passion for the dairy industry which commenced during his time at WA College of Agriculture in Denmark and the WA Youth Cattle Camp. Since completing school, he has worked in the dairy industry, is involved in regional shows and is currently completing an agribusiness degree.

“I’m looking forward to heading east to represent Western Australia in the dairy paraders final and learning about how dairy cattle showing is done over there, while making some great networks,” Findlay said.

Overall there are nine categories for judging and parading each year under the Agricultural Shows Australia national competition program: beef cattle, dairy cattle, grain, poultry, Merino sheep, meat breed sheep and Merino fleece judging, as well as parading competitions in beef and dairy cattle.

Katie Stanley is executive officer of Agricultural Shows Australia, the peak body overseeing 572 agricultural shows in Australia which attract six million visitors annually and contribute nearly $1billion to the national economy, and says the competition is designed to recognise the best new talent in livestock judging nationwide.

“It’s an extremely prestigious event and positions at the nationals are keenly contested,”

“These young people are the future of agricultural show competitions which are crucial to the continual improvement of Australia’s food and fibre. The national competition is a coveted opportunity to grow personally and professionally by practising skills against the cream of the crop.”