New Roma Saleyards cattle market reporter Sonia Hornery is ready for the challenge of covering Australia’s largest store cattle sale.
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Having grown up on a property near Kingaroy in southern Queensland, Ms Hornery has always had a passion of the cattle industry.
“I lost my husband to cancer in 2008, now the kids and I really do a lot of things in the cattle industry to keep his dream alive,” she said.
“Since I was a little girl I’ve had a love of the land and a passion for cattle.
“My father had a property at Kingaroy and it all evolved from growing up in the country.”
Ms Hornery and her five children run 1000 head of Wagyu cattle across different Queensland agistment properties.
“I love my cattle and I’m really enjoying taking on the challenge as MLA’s Roma cattle market reporter,” she said.
“I’m an energetic person and I enjoy how fast paced the market reporting can be during a large Roma cattle sale.
“I have a lot to learn and I’m looking forward to it.”
Ms Hornery said there are many aspects to being a market reporter and she enjoys learning her new job from well-known Queensland cattle market reporter Trevor Hess.
“There’s a lot to being a cattle market reporter and being passionate about cattle means I’m very interested in what the market is doing each week,” she said.
“I think it’s another opportunity to be part of the cattle industry that I really love.”
It’s a slight change in career direct for Ms Hornery who is a trained large animal technician with experience working under Reg Pascoe in Oakey.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do all this without our children and the great friends who have helped us,” she said.
“I’m very lucky to have great friends around me that help support all the things I’m doing.
“All of this is keeping the dream alive for Lachie because he wasn’t just my husband, but my best mate.”
