Australia’s most promising young dairy cattle judges delivered an impressive display of skills and expertise last month at the 2024 National Dairy Cattle Young Judges Championship, held at the Melbourne Royal Show.
Emerging victorious was 19-year-old Patrick English from Malanda, Queensland, who has now positioned himself as one of Australia’s top talents in the agricultural sector.
This prestigious competition, organised by Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA), brought together elite judges aged 17 to 25 from across the country, all of whom qualified through competitive regional and state events.
Patrick, whose family has exhibited Illawarra cows at their local show for 108 consecutive years, was honoured to win against a talented field of competitors.
“I have lived all my life on a dairy farm and winning this championship is a dream come true,“ said Patrick. “It’s an incredible opportunity to represent my community and the hard work of my family.“
Patrick’s competitive judging path has been marked by a number of notable achievements, including a recent victory in the State Young Judges Finals held at his local show in 2023, qualifying him for this year’s national competition.
The dairy cattle young judges competition assesses who most accurately places the animals from first to fourth, according to its form and characteristics and justifies their assessment.
Competing alongside Patrick were five other state champions, all demonstrating excellent analytical and communication skills, as well as an evident passion for the dairy industry.
In second place was Angus Fraser from Tongala, Victoria, who had qualified for the second year in a row to represent Victoria at the national finals.
Third place went to 25-year-old Bridget Liebelt from Meadows, South Australia, who runs her own stud, Torlea Holsteins & Ayrshires.
Agricultural Shows Australia executive officer Katie Stanley congratulated Patrick on his achievement:
“The National Dairy Cattle Young Judges Championship is a keenly contested event and Patrick should be proud of the hard work and dedication it took to reach this prestigious level.
“These young judges are the future leaders of agricultural show competitions and, the young judging competitions, offer a unique opportunity for them to grow personally and professionally.
“I have no doubt that the crop of young judges we have seen here today will play a crucial role in advancing Australia’s livestock industries.“
The competition is part of ASA’s national competition program, which includes nine categories ranging from beef cattle to poultry and Merino fleece judging.
