John Delaforce's introduction to Santa Gertrudis was through a poddy-reared calf at his first youth cattle camp, when he was nine-years-old.
His family started their own Santa Gertrudis stud, Delta Brae, at Toogoolawah, later that year and he returned regularly to the youth camp, even taking his own two heifers along in 2012.
"Throughout high school, I was heavily involved in the cattle show team; and I took my family's cattle and horses to local shows," he said.
Mr Delaforce was also interested in learning the skills to judge cattle, something he has taken into his adult life.
"I started judging in young judges competitions in about 2012. I qualified for the State finals for judging and parading competitions five times."
In 2018, he won the over-18 years section in prime cattle judging at Beef Week. He also won both State finals for stud judges and stud paraders, which qualified him to compete in the 2019 Perth Royal Show. He finished runner-up in the 2019 National Stud Paraders competition.
Mr Delaforce has gone on to judge cattle shows in WA, Qld and the NT, and is keen to judge in southern Australia.
"Cattle assessment is something I love, and I use it every day drafting cattle.
"There's a few people I look up to in the judging world and I've developed my judging skills by taking in a lot of information from these people, and staying focussed on what the seedstock industry is producing. The animals in the show ring should be showing off what your seedstock can breed."
Mr Delaforce is committed to the youth camps and was honoured to be selected as youth ambassador in 2021. Because the COVID pandemic cancelled the youth camp in 2022, he held the role of ambassador for two years.
"My first youth camp was in 2010 and I've attended every one that's been held since. I began as a leader in 2019.
"In 2021 there was tight competition between eligible leaders so I didn't expect to be selected as youth ambassador. I was pretty chuffed and excited, because I was ready to take that next step, and be involved in coordinating the camp. I'm a big believer in educating and training the next generation."
He has taken this philosophy into his working life. After graduating from university in 2018 with a Diploma in Agribusiness Management, he has worked in feedlots and on cattle stations, learning about cattle genetics and breeding direction.
"I learned a lot about assessing cattle, drafting and animal husbandry when I worked in the feedlot. Clients would come out to draft and assess cattle and that was right up my alley for learning about why one person chose cattle for their business that another person thought was rubbish for theirs.
"When I worked with Suzanne and Dave Bassingthwaite, Dave would get stud cattle into the yards and he'd teach me how to pick a show team, and how to pick a sale team."
Mr Delaforce has progressed to running a camp on a Northern Territory station.
Pandemic lockdowns affected his ability to perform as youth ambassador at shows for the Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association, but he was able to judge at the Darwin Show.
Mr Delaforce was able to use some of his scholarship to participate in a tour and leadership programs organised by Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association Georgina Pastoral Future, the NTCA's conference, and the three-day Live Export Exchange in Darwin.
He is also hoping to tour American and Canadian cattle ranches, representing the SGBA, in the future.
Jeanette Severs
I research and write articles across a broad range of topics for an agricultural and rural readership. My hours of work are part-time - generally Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
I research and write articles across a broad range of topics for an agricultural and rural readership. My hours of work are part-time - generally Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
