By Rebecca Skilton
With over 15 agricultural, horticulture and art sections available to participate in at the Berwick Show, the annual event brings in competition from all over Victoria. However for the young people entered, the 2017 Berwick Show was the perfect platform to demonstrate their individual talents, showing a promising future for young Australian’s in agriculture, horticulture and the arts.
“I’ve always maintained that kids are the future,” show president Willem Boon said.
“I look after horticulture, and when we get late entries, I always say to take the kids late entries. You can’t disappoint the kids.”
From equestrian, to cattle, to miniature goats, the young people of the Berwick Show were thriving, letting their weekend’s achievements do the talking.
Within the showjumping ring, 15-year-old Mount Eliza resident, Chloe Dennison rode her 15.2 hand gelding, Fosbury Flop to take out Saturday’s showjumping class, the Akoonah Park Stars of the Future Junior rider.
“(I didn’t) necessarily think I’d win,” Chloe said. “I was hoping for a clear round since it’s the start of the season, so it’s pretty exciting.”
“I feel quite good (about winning the Stars of the Future),” Chloe admitted. “I have my metre twenty class after so that class will be good preparation for the next one.”
Named after a style of high jump, Fosbury Flop and Chloe have been a combination for the past few years, Chloe’s older sister, Jazz, riding the gelding beforehand. However, Chloe and Fosbury Flop are all eyes on the future, with the pair looking forward to upping their height limit, as well as a number of Junior Championships.
“I normally jump between a metre ten and a metre twenty … (So) I’m thinking about (trying to get to) one metre twenty five, and try and do well in the Australian Junior Championships and the Adelaide Junior championships.”
Over in the cattle section, 17-year-old Taylah Skyes from Longford worked tirelessly to take out the Marty Alberni Herdsperson Award, the competition open to all cattle handlers under the age of 25.
With the aim of the competition to encourage young people and to assist in learning to handle cattle and understand showing, competitors are judged on their general enthusiasm and initiative, the presentation of the herdsperson, the presentation of exhibits including bedding and breed promotion, safety around cattle and their involvement in Junior Handler/Judging Classes.
“(I’m) very proud,” Taylah said. “Both of my brothers have won (the Marty Alberni Herdsperson Award) and my brother’s fiance has also won it.”
Having been introduced to cattle at a young age, Taylah admits she was leading cattle from the time she could walk – the art of showing in her blood.
“All my family show (cattle). I’ve got two older brothers and I have two cousins here that have been showing with us for the past few years … it’s a family thing.”
However, for Taylah, the weekend wasn’t without a lot of hard work and a little bit of pain – with her foot becoming crushed by one of the family’s bulls.
“I was out in the ring and one of the bulls that I was leading at the time got a fright,” Taylah said.
“He jumped towards me and landed on my foot and it got a bit crushed, but that’s alright … I’m going to go get it X-rayed.
“My older brother had to come and take over while I limped out of the ring,” Taylah said.
“I’ve been stood on a few times and this is probably the worst.”
On Sunday, the goat division of the show became a hot hit for spectators, with the miniature goats a favourite with show-goers.
22-year-old Cobram resident, Emily Bird and her Australian Miniature Goat, Malurus B’Elanna, took out first prize in kid does under six months, before going on to win champion kid doe under one year.
“This is the second time we’ve been (to the Berwick show)” Emily explained. “We only got into goats probably four years ago.”
Attending the Berwick show alongside her parent’s, Nikki and Daryl, the Birds represented their Malurus Miniature Goat Stud, winning most successful breeder for the day.
“Miniature goats are very intelligent, curious and amusing,” the Birds wrote on the Malurus Stud Facebook page.
“We decided they were perfectly suited to our lifestyle and property so we bought three beautiful does in kid and a promising buck kid.”
