Ekka 2023: stud cattle show includes Thomas White, 9, of Wallumbilla

Showing cattle for the second consecutive year at the Ekka, nine-year-old Thomas White of Forest Grove, Wallumbilla, looked pretty confident as he lead his family's Santa Gertrudis 10-month-old bull, Walmona Eldridge, in to the judging ring at this year's Royal Queensland Show.

Thomas said he liked showing cattle because it was fun and rewarding.

"At the end of the day, you see who has the better heifer or bull," he said.

A Year 4 student at Wallumbilla Primary School, Thomas has been showing and parading cattle for the past couple of years and aims to continue the practise when he grows up.

"It's a bit nerve wracking, but when you come out of the ring, you're proud and happy and you're surprised if you get a ribbon," he said.

Thomas reckoned he'd done over 200 shows, but his mother Ashlee suggested that might be a slight exaggeration.

"If you ask him, he will tell you he's been doing it forever...it still gets a bit nervous but he probably enjoys the animal classes more than the parading because the focus is on the animal so he then tries his best to make it look as good as he can," she said.

Thomas's parents Ashlee and Brett White run W.L.S. Fitting and had a crew of 14 and 38 led steers at this year's Ekka.

Ashlee said Thomas was the eldest of her four children and helped break in cattle for parading.

"He's grown up with cattle his whole life, we run a Santa Gertrudis Shorthorn cross stud...so that's the breed he spends the most time with," she said.

"He's definitely passionate about all aspects of the cattle industry. He started to really enjoy showing. He likes breaking them in and making them look all pretty. I think he secretly likes the attention of making them look pretty and walking around.

"It makes you a bit proud when your kids want to continue what you're doing whether you're building trucks, breeding dogs or cattle, it doesn't matter, it's just another thing that you get to share with them for the rest of your life.

"If he chose to do something else that would be fine, but his three younger brothers all look up to him and they're all pretty keen to start doing it too."