Jackson, Dulacca, Condamine, Kingaroy, Mount Kilcoy, Capella, Monto and Stoney Creek stud principals among rising stars of Queensland's studstock industry

Nowhere is that confidence more keenly felt than in Queensland with so many exciting stud principals already making their mark on the industry.

Queensland Country Life has scoured the state in the search of a small collection of stud masters that could be making headlines in their respective breeds in years to come.

Henry Sinnamon, 24, - Kylkyne Brangus stud, Jackson

THE commercial cattle industry had been running through Henry Sinnamon's blood since the day he was born.

Even now the 24-year-old still remembers the first Brangus bull his family had on its Jackson property and he knew from the start he wanted to work with cattle.

However, a love for stud cattle only developed after a trip to the annual Santa Gertrudis National Youth Camp as an 11-year-old, which was where the desire to begin his own stud was born.

"To be honest, I had an absolute ball at the camp because it was the first time I'd shown, handled or even had anything to do with stud cattle and from there I became pretty obsessed with the stud game," Mr Sinnamon said.

"We had commercial Brangus cattle at the time and so I decided that was the sort of stud I wanted to run.

"I first registered the stud when I was 12 years old, so it has been a part of me for half of my life."

In those early days, Henry described himself as a "Brangus fanboy" who would scour the herdbook to get a better understanding of each different stud.

"As a 12-year-old kid I used to know everyone's programs inside and out and they wouldn't have known me from a bar of soap," he said.

"Now it's pretty exciting that some of those same programs are buying some of my bulls and are coming to ask questions or for a yarn instead of the other way around.

"My dad Barry had to help me out in the beginning because at that age I didn't really know how to make a phone call or send an email, so he really did set it all up for me.

"It was something I really wanted to do and I'm really lucky that I've had the support from my family, while still being able to do my own thing.

"In a funny way, while my dad loves cattle, it was probably something he never expected to do himself, but honestly, I think enjoys it just as much as I do."

Working as a stock agent for Elders at Miles, the rising Brangus stud principal turned heads at the annual Roma Brangus Sale in September, selling seven bulls at an average of $17,000, with bulls going to renowned operators such as the Voewood and Belview studs.

"At the moment, I'm just trying to scale my registered breeders while keeping the quality up at the same time," Mr Sinnamon said.

"The stud has grown to selling 40 to 45 bulls a year, of which only six or 10 are sold at the Roma Brangus Sale, so I'd probably like to see those numbers grow while still ensuring the quality is there.

"It's probably only been the past couple of years that I've had some of my bulls go to bigger studs, which has been a real highlight for me."

Lucy Brown, 20, - Valencia Santa Gertrudis stud, Capella

A SEA of bright pink shirts often dominates the landscape at local cattle shows across the state's north.

While some may be unsure of the origin of the youngsters in fuchsia, those in the know are aware it is the common uniform of the dedicated Rockhampton Girls Grammar show team.

One of the team's most recent graduates is 20-year-old Lucy Brown, who credits those many trips to the showgrounds as a major influence on her decision to start her own Santa Gertrudis stud.

"My family has always bred commercial Santa cattle and has had some stud bulls for our own use, but there's no doubt being on the show team helped drive my passion for the stud game," Ms Brown said.

"In 2013, I went to the Santa Gertrudis National Youth Camp for the first time and honestly fell in love with the whole industry.

"I haven't missed a camp since that first one and now I've even became a group leader at the camp as well, which is really rewarding."

Now that love of the cattle industry is driving Ms Brown's career endeavours, as she is currently studying to become a vet at university in Townsville.

"We have always had a bit of a small stud but I have really fallen in love with it and I've really focused on it over the past couple of years," she said.

"When I come out of university, I'll look to throw myself into it even more, but for now, I am doing what I can while studying and throwing myself into it when uni isn't on."

As well as a career in caring for animals, Ms Brown said she was eager to help the stud's herd numbers continue to grow.

"In the coming years I'd really like to focus on increasing our stud bulls as well as our quality," she said.

"To me it's all about slowly getting better, building a strong foundation and focusing on the traits we want to showcase."

Corey and Brent Evans, 24 and 27, Jen-Daview Livestock (Limousin and Angus), Kingaroy

FOLLOWERS of the state's cattle show circuits, carcase classics and led steer competitions will be very familiar with Brent and Corey Evans from Kingaroy.

However, it is not just the commercial aspect of the beef industry that the brothers are passionate about as the family's Limousin and Angus stud herds continue to grow.

"Our mum and dad have been right there with us when the stud was started in 2009 and we have been steadily building up the numbers from there," Brent Evans said.

"We moved onto the property we are on now near Kingaroy in 2000 and had a Limousin bull running with the commercial herd from inception and the stud side of things pretty much grew out of that.

"From those early days, we got into breeding show steers and as young guys with a passion for our cattle, it became harder and harder to have to kill your show steer at the end of every year.

"I think that was what got us looking into the stud side of things and while we are still very passionate about showing and show steers, the stud side of things is certainly moving forward."

It would be fair to say the industry plays a major role in both brothers' lives as 27-year-old Brent works as a livestock buyer for JBS, while 24-year-old Corey works as as a stock agent in the South Burnett.

"Our aim is to continue to grow and expand our operation to turn off more Limousin and Angus bulls," Brent said.

"In fact, just last week we finished our first embryo program and flushed a few Angus and Limousin cows.

"We'll keep working on that side of things and continue selling our Limousin bulls through the annual Coolabunia sale.

"As for the Angus bulls, we'll continue to grow that side of things as well and see where the Angus breed takes us."

Download QCL's new app today!

Alecea Nixon, 22, Mickey Mouse Beef, (Gelbvieh and Hereford), Dulacca

ANYONE who has met Alecea Nixon knows the 22-year-old Dulacca local has got a mature head on her shoulders.

As well as following in her family's footsteps and starting her own Gelbvieh and Hereford studs, the self confessed "cattle enthusiast" also believes in giving back to the breeds that have given her so much.

After starting her Gelbvieh and Hereford studs in 2015 as a 15-year-old, Ms Nixon is currently serving on the Australian Gelbvieh Cattle Association board as youth president.

However, her commitment to giving back covers multiple breeds as she is also the secretary of the Herefords Queensland Youth Association.

"Those roles are just so rewarding and while we haven't had as much of a chance to do what we would have liked with the Gelbvieh youth, the Hereford youth is going from strength to strength in Queensland," Ms Nixon said.

"What really inspired me to start my own studs was a visit to Beef Australia 2015 because it exposed me to all kinds of different cattle and it made me want to be a part of it in a different way.

"I wasted no time, did all the registration paperwork while I was there and from there it has rolled on to the point where I was the associate Gelbvieh judge at Beef last year."

Working within the industry via Elders at Meandarra, Ms Nixon said spending years showing cattle across the state also developed her passion for the stud industry.

"It really inspired me to put my name in front of the animals I'm showing because I really believe in what I'm doing, the breeds I have, and showing really lets me put my money where my mouth is," she said.

"I believed enough in those animals to know that I wanted to have my own studs."

As for the future, Ms Nixon said she would like "to be selling more bulls in five to 10 years time", while also offering articles that would be "well sought after within the industry."

"I started my own studs because I wanted to have a go at using some genetics that appealed to me and focus on the animals I liked," she said.

"It would also be nice to offer a few heifers down the line as well and get in some more genetics.

"For now though, I'll keep working away at trying to build up my numbers and my quality."

Lewis Cammack, 19, Camdun Braford stud, Mount Kilcoy.

During the working week, Lewis Cammack works hard adding to the legacy of his family's Brisbane butchery business Rode Meats.

However, come the weekend, the 19-year-old does what so many in the cattle game do and becomes a weekend warrior and indulges in his passion for breeding stud cattle.

Having bought his first Braford females at the New Dimension Braford Sale at Bell earlier this year, the weekend is the time that Lewis hones in on his passion for stud cattle at his family's Mount Kilcoy property.

"I got involved with cattle through Nudgee College and the show team the school has, which goes to about 10 or so shows a year," Mr Cammack said.

"They recently bought some Brafords off the MCN stud and that was what really drew me to the Braford breed."

As well as showing cattle during his school years, Mr Cammack said working in his family's business had also sparked his interest in stud cattle.

"Dad's got the property at Mount Kilcoy where I run the cattle and he has been really supportive of this whole journey," he said.

"My family doesn't have any stud cattle, they buy and sell a few breeders as well as having the shop, so from my perspective, it's good to get an overview of every different area of the supply chain."

In the future, Mr Cammack aims to continue to build up his herd with the hopes of selling bulls at the breed's major sales.

"We're still in the early stages of the operation, but the first calf hit the ground about two weeks ago, which was really exciting," he said.

"He was a bull calf and is the first bull we have, which is also pretty exciting.

"I don't want to get too carried away, but I would like to eventually be running about 50 breeders over time and selling them where I can.

"As well as that, I want to stay involved in showing and at this stage I'm hoping to send either that cow and calf combo or even a couple of the heifers I bought earlier this year to Nudgee College to go around the show circuit this year."

Cayb and Rickylee Schwerin, 29, Byac Santa Gertrudis stud, Monto

IT was one of the surprise victories of Beef Australia 2021 and while some people may not have heard of Cayb and Rickylee Schwerin at the start of the event, everyone knew them by the end.

After growing up in Clifton on the Darling Downs surrounded by commercial Santa Gertrudis cattle, Cayb Schwerin knew he one day wanted a stud of his own and his dream reached an early high when his stud Byac took out grand champion bull with Byac Quarterback in Rockhampton last year.

Since founding the stud as a 13-year-old in 2006, the now 29-year-old has since moved the operation to Monto to run it alongside his wife Rickylee as well as their children Sarvanah and Marshell.

"Mum and dad had commercial Santas while I was growing up but I was always more drawn to the stud side of things," Mr Schwerin said.

"Since getting a start, we've got about 60 head all up at the moment including commercial cattle, which is something we're trying to build up.

"The things I'm really trying to breed into our cattle are that nice dark coat because we've gotten a bit light over the past few years.

"Basically, the bull I won with at Beef Week is exactly what I'd like to breed because he had that beautiful loose skin, good structure and overall sire appeal."

A boilermaker by trade, Mr Schwerin said holding an on-property sale was one of his major goals for the stud in the future.

"In about 10 years time, I'd like to have another block of land closer to home in Clifton and have our breeder numbers somewhere around 100 head," he said.

"That's the goal and hopefully the kids will be getting as much enjoyment out of then as they are now."

As for Mrs Schwerin, she said the family would also continue to compete on the show circuit as it had played a large role in their journey to date.

"We've already got our kids into the swing of things leading and handling cattle," she said.

"Showing is something we've always enjoyed and there is a lot of really good shows in our area now that we are really looking forward to going to.

"You make a lot of really good friends showing as well as giving the cattle a chance to be noticed, so I'm hopeful it's something we can continue in the future."

Amelie Martin, 19, AKM Red Angus stud, Stoney Creek

The Ekka has long been a place where stud principals' dreams have come true and been born and for Amelie Martin it was the scene of her start in the stud industry.

Known as Millie by her family and friends, the 19-year-old settled on creating her own stud after experiencing the thrills an Ekka showing provides.

Following the example of her father Tony, Palmview Red Angus, at the age of 13 Millie set up her own stud in 2016 to experience the rush of showing cattle for herself.

"I honestly love everything about it, from showing your cattle, to seeing all your friends in the breed to meeting new people from other breeds, the Ekka is just awesome," she said.

"It's how my passion for Red Angus really started and some of the real leaders in the breed such as the Powe family, Maryanne Kearney, Heather Davies, Stu and Di Greenwood have really helped me along to get to where I am now."

This year marked Millie's first selling bulls at the annual Power of Reds Sale in Toowoomba and she did not walk away empty handed with her one sire selling for $18,000 to a buyer from Chinchilla.

"Honestly that was a real highlight and I can't wait to continue to grow my herd and hopefully achieve more success like that in the future," she said.

"I only recently finished high school and haven't quite worked out what I want to do career-wise just yet, all I know is I want to work with livestock.

"Once I figure that out I can't wait to continue to throw myself into the stud game going forward."

Bryce and Lucy Moore, 28 and 29, Trifecta Charbray stud, Condamine

For some stud principals choosing the right breed can be a difficult process.

However, for 28-year-old Bryce and 29-year-old Lucy Moore, Charbrays chose them.

The couple only started their stud in 2019 but had held the breed record at this year's National Charbray Sale, before it was broken later on at the same event.

"It was a bit of sheer luck that Lucy and I stumbled across each other and it's not very often that two people share the same passion for the same breed," Mr Moore said.

"Lucy's family have been breeding Charbrays near Taroom for more than 30 years, while my parents had been in the breed for close to 15 years prior to our move east towards Condamine.

"Personally, I kicked off my original herd when I was 14 years old and from there it was about chipping away before buying out my parents' herd and joining them with ours.

"That has allowed us to have a few more numbers while still tapping into Lucy's family's Beaumont Grazing genetics at Taroom as well.

"It's been a lot of fun so far and I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be sharing it with than Lucy."

The breed's versatility as well as do-ability are just some of the features Mr Moore said made him fall in love with Charbrays at a young age and keep him attached to the breed today.

"I'm originally from out between Bollon and Mitchell where the conditions can be quite tough season-wise, but what caught our attention was the breed's ability to not only hang on, but thrive in those sorts of conditions," he said.

"As well as being able to thrive, they meet the markets we look to sell into really well and don't attract the discount that other Bos Indicus cattle sometimes do.

"We're only fairly new into the stud game and it took a long time to line everything up, but we are really enjoying it so far."

Mr Moore admitted they had been lucky that seasonal conditions had been favourable since they entered the stud game.

"For us the big thing is continuing to build our numbers while ensuring our quality stays as high as possible," he said.

"As well as that, we are really eager to use the latest technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer to help us achieve those sorts of outcomes."