Brangus Youth Camp attracts kids from SA, NSW & QLD

The third Brangus Youth Camp, held at Theodore this week, has been hailed a great success by organisers. There were 92 participants aged between five and 18 years old from SA, NSW and throughout Queensland, split between eight different age groups.

Australian Brangus Society CEO Tessa Pearson said the committee had worked tirelessly to guarantee the their biggest camp was the best yet.

"The Brangus Youth Camp was designed to be educational, inclusive and great fun for all participants, and the 2023 camp definitely achieved that," she said.

"The ability, passion and commitment displayed by this year's participants was great to see, the future of the industry and the Brangus breed is exciting."

The camp started with parading demonstrations and rope craft, followed by attending to the cattle and feeding up.

The next day each group rotated around different events from rope tying, washing, grooming, handling, clipping, feeding and nutrition, bedding and how to generally look after their animals.

Time was also spent on learning about animal structure and what makes a good show animal.

They were shown how to prepare their show box and shed preparation.

Over the four day event the students got to participate in stud and prime cattle competitions.

More than 80 head of Brangus cattle were supplied for students to handle and parade.

Brangus Youth Camp organizer Brad Hansen said they had to keep the kids from going into the sheds before 6am in the morning, such was their excitement.

"[They were]...still down in the sheds checking out their cattle a 8pm," he said.

"This camp was all abut the kids and this year they had a big influx of green kids so we put out a call for quiet cattle and we had several breeds available to use.

"There are no classes for show animals and it's all about the classes for the kids on how they judge prime and stud and the parading classes.

"The camp was all about educating the kids so they can go to a show and compete."

In a different twist, one Brangus breeder from Gympie also offered training of poultry showing and judging.

A monetary challenge also saw the children given a scenario with a herd of cattle and money, which they could spend on more cattle or feeding and vaccinating their stock.

Article & Images courtesy of Queensland Country Life.