QUEENSLAND representative Chloe Plowman has won the 2022 Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA) national beef cattle paraders final held at the Sydney Royal Show on Friday last week.
Among a field of seven competitors assessed by judge Renae Keith of Allenae Angus and Poll Herefords, Roslyn, and under testing conditions which included pouring rain, a soggy show ring and a heifer they were only introduced to an hour before participating, Miss Plowman rose the top with her calmness and attention to detail.
The 18-year-old Kingaroy local comes from Ruby Ridge Angus stud and is a third generation beef cattle producer.
Competing for seven years now, Miss Plowman first became involved with showing cattle watching her family and cousins take to the ring, and her passion has continued to grow and develop over the years.
It was only a month ago following a successful win of the Queensland state final that she found out she would be going to the NSW big smoke to take on the other state representatives for the national title.
"I qualified at the Murgon local show then went to Nanango and got through that region," she said.
"I was then meant to go to Ekka then that was put off, then to Stanthorpe and then that got put off.
"The final was held at Preston only a month ago, and I won that to come here."
Running around 70 Angus breeders, since the Ruby Ridge stud was started she has not sold a heifer and up until this year was selling bulls privately.
"This year we are hosting an inaugural combined sale," Miss Plowman said.
Just graduating year 12 last year, she has since been working part time with Aussie Land and Livestock, Kingaroy, and with the local butcher in the mall.
"But my ambition is to become a real estate and livestock agent," she said. "Both my employment places supported me coming to Sydney - Aussie Land and Livestock flew down to support me and the butcher put a few things up in the shop window.
"I was also sponsored by Cannard Hats in Queensland. They kindly gave me a hat to wear during the national final - it was the same as the original I have been wearing for four years."
Leading a Shorthorn heifer supplied by Cooper Carter of Cooper's Shorthorns, Tumut, Miss Plowman said she wasn't worried about the rain.
"I enjoy the rain," she said. "I just focus on keeping the animal as calm and quiet as I can, and show them off to the best of my ability while keeping an eye on the judge and making sure the animal is standing correct at all times and keeping distance between me and other competitors."
These key points made her a standout for judge Mrs Keith who said she was the clear winner especially when the animals were swapped, and Miss Plowman asked the age of the heifer she was taking over.
"I really do admire her cool, calm and collectedness, and I think she was my clear winner after we swapped animals," Mrs Keith said.
"Second and third were harder to split, they were sort of neck and neck and it was just matter basically who had made the least errors throughout the class."
Reserve champion went to Victorian representative, Sarah Sutton, Sulky, who was changed onto the most difficult heifer in the class yet kept her calm and worked with it. That secured her the second position.
Indiana Smith of Perth, representing Western Australia, placed third overall leading a heifer supplied by Valley Creek Simmentals, Binda.
The other representatives included; Zoe Rudder, NSW, Thomas Febey, Tasmania, Dayna Grey, South Australia, and Cara Doggett of Palmerston North, NZ.
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