Winning the Young Paraders’ state final was a dream for Chloe Plowman after years of watching her family show cattle.
“It’s pretty cool, it’s all still sinking in,” she said.
“I like working with animals, it’s my passion, it’s what I love.”
The 18-year-old Kingaroy girl won the QCAS Stud Beef Young Paraders’ Queensland Final at the Proston Show on 5 March.
She initially won her section at the 2021 Murgon Show and went on to represent Murgon and win the South Burnett Regional Sub Chamber Final at Nanango.
The state final for the Young Paraders is usually held at the Brisbane Ekka, but when the show was cancelled, the state final was moved to Chloe’s home region at the Proston Show in the South Burnett.
“It was so good we could have it run … being so close to home,” Chloe said.
She is now preparing to head to the Sydney Royal Easter Show to represent Queensland at the national final on 8 April.
Young Paraders is an event that requires the participant to be at least 16 to qualify for states.
Each participant gets an hour to work with a random, balloted animal. Within that hour they have to prepare the animal so it is presentable.
“We have to bond with the animal – one we’ve never led before,” Chloe said.
They then parade around the ring in front of the judges.
“The judge made us switch animals halfway through … you have to be prepared for anything,” Chloe said.
The participants are also required to know names and details about the animal they are parading around and only just met an hour prior.
“Young Paraders is something you learn, you can’t do much practice … you’ve just got to go with what happens on the day,” she said.
Chloe works with her own cattle regularly and enjoys getting to know their different qualities and personalities.
The Kingaroy State High School graduate works with Aussie Land and Livestock, helping out at the Coolabunia Saleyards, and also works at The Little Butcher.
Showing cattle has become a strong family tradition for Chloe’s mother’s family, with their family’s show team named Ruby Ridge Angus.
Chloe is now the fourth generation in the family to be showing cattle and after seven years in the game, is strongly following in the footsteps of some of her cousins who have also excelled in the Young Paraders events.
Chloe’s cousin, Corey Evans is a fellow Aussie Land and Livestock employee and will also be heading down to Sydney for the National Competition.
He was named the state’s 2021 ALPA Young Auctioneer of the Year and will represent Queensland in the national final on the same day as Chloe.
“It’s so exciting that we’re both going down there,” Chloe said.
“Our grandfather would definitely be proud of us.”
Corey was glad the Young Paraders was judged in the South Burnett so that lots of locals could be there to support Chloe.
“It was really good, she’s been trying hard for a long time and putting in 100 per cent,” he said.
“I saw it [the competition] towards the end of the Grand Parade … that the ribbons were being awarded.”
Corey is excited he gets to share the national finals experience with his cousin.
“It’ll be really exciting, especially with both of our competitions on the same day,” he said.
