WHILE there won’t be any cattle judging at this year’s show, they still play a pivotal role in the overall event.
Earlier this year, the Swan Hill District Agricultural and Pastoral Society made the tough decision to move the cattle show to August, following clashes with those competing at Melbourne Royal Show.
Cattle committee member Carol Sutton said the decision to move the cattle show as a standalone event prior to the show was bittersweet.
“Any local competitors attending the Melbourne show are not allowed out of Melbourne until October 2 and obviously that’s too late for our show – it’s all done and dusted by then,” she said.
With cattle at the heart of agricultural shows, Ms Sutton said the cattle committee devised a plan which ensured cattle were still a part of Swan Hill’s signature agricultural event.
“It’s sad that we’ve had to take the cattle away from the show and have them as a separate event but the overall support we’ve had has been overwhelming,” Ms Sutton said.
Within a few short months, the concept of a standalone event became a reality and Swan Hill’s inaugural Cattle Show proved to be a huge success.
“We had 89 competitors and it was brilliant,” Ms Sutton said.
“Everything ran smoothly.
“It was a lot of work but we are very grateful for our sponsors who backed us at short notice.”
Some of Victoria’s finest studs were showcased and judged throughout the two-day event, which also proved to be economically beneficial to the town, with many people travelling large distances to be a part of the show.
The timing of the event was also a drawcard for many competitors, who were able to prepare and show their cattle ahead of some of the major metropolitan shows, including Adelaide and Melbourne.
Ms Sutton said the recent cancellations of cattle shows had impacted the ability to show and exhibit stud cattle.
“The cattle were raw, they haven’t had a good outing in a long time,” Ms Sutton said.
“This event enabled entrants to break them in prior to Melbourne.”
Following the date change and huge success of the event, Ms Sutton said the Cattle Show would once again take place in its current form next year.
“It was a lot of work but the end result was fantastic,” Ms Sutton said.
