THE Swan Hill District Agricultural and Pastoral Society will host their inaugural cattle show this weekend, in a move away from tradition.
Some of Victoria’s finest studs will be showcased and judged throughout the two-day event.
The Swan Hill District Agricultural and Pastoral Society was forced to reinvent the cattle show 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 five committed members of the cattle committee devised a plan which would ensure 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 standalone event but the overall support we’ve had has been overwhelming,” Ms Sutton said.
In a few short months, the cattle show has gone from a concept to a reality, attracting 89 head of cattle from throughout Victoria.
“We’ve been blown away with the number of competitors,” Ms Sutton said, adding the event would prove to be economically beneficial to the town, with accommodation providers and food outlets also set to benefit.
The timing of this weekend’s show has also been a major drawcard for the event.
Coming out of COVID, Ms Sutton said the cancellation of cattle shows had impacted the ability to show and exhibit stud cattle.
“The cattle are raw, they haven’t had a good outing in a long time,” Ms Sutton said.
“This will enable entrants to break them in prior to Melbourne.”
The local event will also provide a training ground for the next generation of show entrants with junior parading and junior judging events taking place.
“From this competition, eligible children will be able to represent our district and go on to compete in Melbourne,” Ms Sutton said.
She said hours of preparation went into showcasing the stud cattle and this would take place on Friday, prior to the event.
“There’s lots of preparation work to do – washing, clipping and brushing,” she said.
Ms Sutton urged the local community to come and have a look at the show over the weekend.
“It’s a good event for Swan Hill and our farmers, and there will be all different sorts of breeds on display.”
The event will take place at the showgrounds on Saturday from 1pm until 5pm and Sunday from 9am until 1pm.
Entry is via a gold coin donation.
