At Boonah State High School’s Cattle Club, students gain hands-on experience preparing cattle for competitions — thanks, in part, to support from Jamie Gadsby of Talgai Santa Gertrudis.
Over the past three years, Mr Gadsby has enjoyed mentoring the year seven to 12 students.
He helps with teaching the practical tasks such as cattle preparation before and during shows, exposing them to real industry standards, ring etiquette, grooming, parading and show presentation.
“My best mate Aidan Richters, head of department of Trade and Industry, which includes the Cattle Club and Agriculture at Boonah State High said, ’I want to get the cattle side of things going again’.
“This is when the idea of the Cattle Club came to life and I said that I would see how we could help the vision become a reality.
“It’s excellent for the students, there is a really good group of kids who are excelling.
“And, for me, it’s brought back a bit of passion to the show ring.
“The kids have even embraced my own daughter who is 10 and she has become a bit of an honorary addition to the Cattle Club team.
“The partnership with Boonah State High has also been beneficial to the Talgai team and we really enjoy seeing the kids excel and try new things.“
The Cattle Club boasts 60 students from year seven to year 12 who attend a lesson on Friday. Within that group, 30 students form the Show Team, which also attends a lesson on Tuesday.
“It gives them confidence in agriculture and provides networking opportunities with industry professionals, which can open career paths for the students,“ said Mr Richters.
“Pleasingly, we have noticed an increased engagement in years 11 and 12 as students want to stay at school and be involved with the Cattle Club.
“We could not do this without community support.“
Boonah State High School students certainly have the track record to show the benefits.
Its Show Team has won awards in events such as FarmFest, Beefweek 2024 and EKKA 2024/25, with one of the school’s steers winning a broad ribbon with Reserve Champion Carcass.
These successes point to the quality preparation and confidence built through behind the scenes mentoring and hands-on practice.
Meanwhile, Boonah’s broader Paddock to Plate initiative — melding agriculture, hospitality and industrial technology — demonstrates the school’s commitment to real- world learning.
Students raise and prepare school-grade beef for community dinners, with industry partners engaging in project mentoring and collaboration.
Meanwhile Talgai, under the leadership of Malcolm and Chick Gadsby, is deeply embedded in youth education through the Santa Gertrudis breed network.
Indeed, support from local studs such as Talgai enhances that experience by bridging classroom theory with live animal practice.
Talgai’s ethos emphasises breeding cattle that are easy to manage, good-tempered and adaptable — traits ideal for teaching young handlers’ best practices in cattle presentation and welfare.
By offering mentorship on animal care, grooming and show ring etiquette, Jamie Gadsby helps translate industry standards into student skill.
The result: Boonah students enter competitions such as FarmFest and Ekka with confidence, preparation and polish — and produce successful outcomes.
This partnership underscores the value of stud school support in nurturing community-based agricultural leaders.
