HE might not have thousands of acres or even one beast to his name but for Inverell high school student Beau White his town upbringing meant nothing when he was announced the Champion Parader in the Led Steer School Paraders’ Competition.
The 14-year-old from Holy Trinity School has only been leading cattle for three years and had no prior experience with the beef industry after growing up living in town at Inverell.
It wasn’t until he attended Holy Trinity School and watched his older brother become involved with cattle that he took a liking to beef.
Beau looked every bit the experienced cattlemen while parading Hereford heifer Jindalee Asteret in front of judges Kim Groner, Meandarra, and Julie Pocock, Lowood, who had the tough task of sifting through hundreds of school paraders, some from interstate.
Commenting on Beau’s performance, Ms Pocock said he ticked all of their boxes.
“Every time I looked at him he was relaxed,” she said.
“He kept his heifer, which she is standing there chewing her cud now, so he has kept her pretty relaxed and cool and calm all day.
“He was the one out of everyone that had his animal standing as close to perfect. Each time he kept working and making sure she was getting presented.
“His gear is immaculate, it’s fitting perfectly and the heifer has stepped out and presented extremely well as well.”
The immaculate gear was the result of Beau spending two hours polishing his halters and leads ahead of the event, his family and friends declaring him “OCD about cleanliness”.
Not only did Beau prove he is a standout parader but he even broke-in the Hereford heifer himself.
He said he never would have dreamt that he would be named a Champion Parader at the Ekka.
“(Showing cattle) is a good way to get away from the normal, it’s a bit different for someone coming from in town to be able to go out there and handle cattle,” he said.
It’s not the first time Beau has been in the spotlight at the Ekka, he was named the Junior Champion Parader at last year’s event.
Just a few weeks ago he was the Reserve Champion Sub Intermediate Parader at the Hereford National Youth Show and the week before that was the Grand Champion Parader at the Inverell Cattle Clinic.
He is now in the process of starting his own Hereford stud.
The Junior class winner, Charlie Salter, Dalby State High School, was named the Reserve Champion in the Led Steer School Paraders’ Competition.
Judge Julie Pocock said both Charlie and Beau were at the top of the line up for their overall completeness.
Charlie, 13, is no stranger to cattle having grown up around his parents 17,000 head feedlot, Sandalwood, at Dalby.
He said his Ekka parading performance was a personal best.