Bridie Kelly, 14, of Katunga leads a heifer into the ring in the youth competition at International Dairy Week on Sunday.
If you’re concerned about the temperature reaching 35 degrees during International Dairy Week, don’t be.
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The 700 cows temporarily housed at Tatura Park experience a level of luxury and pampering many humans don’t enjoy.
By the time they arrive at the shaded stalls they have been carefully shaved with clippers, washed all over and blown dry, all the while enjoying a special diet.
At IDW, misting fans run continuously, circulating cool air over the cows, while their masters keep up the supply of quality hay and make sure there is sufficient soft bedding in the stalls.
And if they want to take a dump any time, the owners will rush to the rear end with a bucket to collect it.
Lukas Robertson from Yarroweyah wields the clippers on a heifer during the youth show at IDW.
Nothing gets in the way of the final presentation in the arena.
International Dairy Week is the biggest dairy competition in Australia and one of the biggest events run in Tatura.
The event got started on Saturday with a food truck festival and entertainment, and on Sunday a number of youth events were held.
Tatura Park is hosting 736 head of cattle, entered in 928 sections, from Monday to Thursday this week.
On Wednesday, Jersey entrants will take centre stage and on Thursday, Holsteins will compete in the ring of the Blackmore-Leslie complex.
This year there is a visiting team of young people from New Zealand who were competing in the youth events and leading cattle in the open classes.
Part of the crew representing the Holstein Australia northern Victorian team (from left, front) Dakota Robertson, Isla Robertson, Cooper Fisher, (back) Scarlett Bawden, Mikaela Daniels and Abbey Robinson. Dakota and Isla were not entered in the arena competition. “We’re the support crew,” they told Country News.
Connor McIlveen from Cobram and Jaxon Gillam from Cohuna preparing for the show ring in Tatura on Sunday.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Chelsea Schutz, 11, from Joanna in South Australia, was dwarfed by the Holstein heifer in the clipping competition at International Dairy Week. She is the daughter of Belinda and Glen Schutz and was the youngest in the South Australian team.
Hannah Kuhl (left) from Mt Gambier is pictured in the stalls with Dekota Hindsmarsh from Cowra and her young Jersey heifer. Dekota was showing the 14-month-old heifer, which is part of her Appletree Jerseys stud.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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