Young Aussies head to Belgium

Led by Kelly Bleijendaal from Winwood Holsteins, Cohuna, the Young Breeders School is an annual five-day event involving hands-on and class-based sessions, based on many aspects of showing cattle from showmanship and clipping through to marketing and herd management.

Following on from the school, the Australian team will travel through Holland on an educational tour visiting farms, Alta Genetics and Lely.

Angus Fraser from Tandarra said he was looking forward to Belgium and he can’t wait to get there.

“I am looking forward to establishing some international connections within the dairy industry and experiencing the school with other young knowledgeable people,” Angus said.

“I have worked with overseas fitters and they have a different style which will only add value to me.’’

While Angus said he was undecided on his exact career pathway, he knows it will involve the industry and hopefully a job managing a dairy farm in the future.

‘’My parents grew up on a dairy farms and when I was young they always took us to the local agricultural show.

“It was there I started helping a family with their cows and eventually ended up showing cows any weekend I could. I got my first milking job when I was 11.”

Holstein Australia sent its first ever team to the school back in 2019, where they finished in the top third of the results.

Holstein Australia chief executive officer Rohan Butler said the trip was a wonderful experience and would enable the team to benchmark themselves against some of the best young dairy competitors in the world.

“We see our 2023 team members as emerging leaders so we, along with the other partners, will be working with them once they return from Europe to develop those skills further,” Rohan said.

An international event, the school was first established in 1999 with the main aim to teach young breeders about cattle preparation and showmanship.

The school starts on August 30 and finishes September 3.