A RAFT of school-based and junior competitions lit up the Brisbane Showgrounds as part of this year's Royal Queensland Show.
Tuesday's action featured the interschool judging competition, the school steer judging competition, the announcement of this year's interschool herd person, the RNA's prime cattle young judging competition and Queensland Ag Shows' prime cattle junior judges state final.
Angus breaks through after a two-year wait
The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on most people but for St George's Angus Haynes, it kept a desire burning inside him.
Upon his last visit to the Ekka in 2019 the now 18-year old finished runner up in Queensland Ag Shows' prime cattle junior judging state final.
The result wet his appetite for more success and so he bided his time and sharpened his judging skills on the local show circuit.
After two years of waiting, his patience paid off as he finished atop the field of nine competitors representing all of the state sub chambers, ahead of Gympie's Grace Becker who was named runner up by judge Ian Galloway, Roma.
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Kingaroy team reigns supreme
Hard work, dedication and a sense of school pride has helped propel Kingaroy State High School to victory in the Ekka interschool steer judging competition.
The trio, consisting of year 11 students Rhiannon Braithwaite and Jamie-Lee Webb, and year 9 student Liam Cullen, was overjudge Troy Nutridge's choice out of the 20 schools entered.
Schools from across the state and NSW entered this year's contest, however Mr Nutridge placed the Kingaroy team atop the field, ahead of Monto High School in second and West Moreton Anglican College in third.
The victory continued the school's winning run at this year's Ekka after Gorgie Plowman took out the interschool paraders competition on Monday, an event that was last won by her older sister Chloe in 2019, who went on to win the national paraders competition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show earlier this year.
Those combined results then lead Kingaroy State High School to be named as this year's most successful school.
Much like the Plowman family, the result made it back-to-back most successful school broad ribbons for the Kingaroy show team.
Mackenzie shows off her skills
For McKenzie Taylor, the opportunity to have some fun and get involved in the Ekka's school steer judging competition proved to be too good to pass up.
The Scots PGC College, Warwick, student entered the intermediate class of this year's competition hopeful of putting her best foot forward.
However, she was slightly taken aback when she not only won her class, but the competition overall after judges Graham Brown, Windera and Ian Galloway, Roma, gave her the nod ahead of Ipswich Grammar's Thomas Delaforce, who was named runner up.
The judges had the tough task of overseeing the more than 150 students who entered this year's competition across the three age classes.
Herd person title heads south of the border
This year's interschool herd person judge Janine Lau, Lilydale, had one objective when searching for a winner of this year's competition, identify the school that made her want to enroll her own child there.
As it happened, that school turned out to be Inverell High School at this year's Ekka, as Ms Lau said its students presented a complete package when it came to behaviour, dress standards and attitude.
Unfortunately, the students were unable to make the presentation but their award will be passed on by neighbouring school Holy Trinity.
Jessica ends the day on a high
It may have been the last event of a packed-day, but 20-year-old Jessica Beddows made sure she saved her best performance for last in the RNA prime cattle junior judging competition.
Among a competition of about 20 other youngsters, the long-time judging enthusiast shone bright and claimed her first win in the competition after two attempts.
The Murgon local was thrilled to be given the tick of approval from competition overjudge Ian Galloway, Roma.