Alexandra Olive of Apis Creek Brahman Stud has been crowned as the Champion Young Judge after her astonishing performance at the Datamars Livestock Young Judges Competition at Beef2024.
The competitive line-up of beef industry ‘young guns’ aged eight through to 25 saw 18-year-old Alexandra knock out the 18 and under-25-year-old classes.
This being Alexandra’s first time on Beef’s big stage, she said it was an amazing feeling to be named Champion Young Judge.
“It’s a pinch-me moment,” she said.
“I just feel so grateful for this opportunity to showcase what I love doing and get to have my say in front of such a beautiful, big audience.”
Being the fifth-generation beef producer and third-generation of the Apis Creek Brahman Stud, Alexandra recently purchased and showed her first stud animal earlier in the week.
“I purchased NCC Ellie at the NCC sale last year and broke her in with the aspirations of competing in Paraders and implementing her into my herd,” Alex said.
“She did amazing; she’s such a little firecracker that never stops amazing me, and she’s just a beautiful heifer.”
Renowned international judge, PJ Bulder presented entrants to a masterclass of his knowledge.
Having judged 93 different cattle breeds in over 40 countries, Mr Bulder became the first to ever judge a National Show on all six continents in 2017.
Passing on his fundamental principles and critical pieces of advice to the junior judges, Mr Bulder told reporters what attributes he searched for when judging.
“There’s lots of talent and lots of future here, and it’s really exciting,” he said.
“It’s a very subjective exercise and it’s based on different objectives, resources and environments, so those of you who don’t make it through to the next round, don’t take it too seriously because I’m sure that a lot of you, if you articulated why you sorted the cattle the way you did and evaluated them the way you did, there’s good reason for that.
“I think there are a lot of people who disagree with me; this is show business, it’s not ice cream sales, so it’s not the best way to make friends.
“Be candid, say it as you see it, be conversational and speak about the cattle the way you would if you’re out in the pasture at home evaluating livestock.”
Full Results
Overjudges: PJ Budler, Steph Laycock and Jake Phillips
8 Years to 11 Years
Skye White
Harper Will
George Streeter
Nathan Walter
Samuel Ford
12 Years and 13 Years
Imogen Land
Ella Geddes
Maddison McAlister
Lawson Sedgman
Jarod Mahony
14 Years
Joshua Williams
Rhianna McIntyre
Amelia Miller
Polly White
Andy Mulchay
15 Years
Elizabeth Lawrence
Annaka Hanson
Ben Kingston
Maylee Collins
Ava Smith
16 Years
Hamish Genrich
Georgia Lynch
Angus Tomson
Izzabella Lower
D’Arcy Burton
17 Years
Sam Kingston
Ben Coney
Ella Fort
Georgia Buchan
Max Humphries
18 Years and Under 25 Years
Alexandra Olive
Charleigh Tucker
Alicia Trovatto
Kiralee Streeter
Tim Connor
