Northern Schools Steer Competition 2022
Students from Farrer have spent the last 6 months after school and during sport preparing 4 steers for the Annual Northern Schools Steer
Competition held at Manilla on the 16th & 17th November. Over 200 students from across the North West came together to show their
steers, compete in parading and judging competitions.
Students have been involved in all the processes teaching the steers to tie up & lead as well as washing, clipping and preparing them
for show.
Farrer took 4 steers to the show along with students Tom Devine, Tom Harrington, George Hicks & Joel Sloman. For the majority of these
students this was their first show as shows have been canceled for the last couple of years due to covid.
Wednesday started with an early morning, loading the truck and leaving Farrer by 6:15am. We then arrived at Manilla where we set up our
stalls and weighed our steers. 3 steers making the lightweight category and 1 weighing into the middleweight class.
The boys then gave the steers a wash to have them ready for the parading classes in the afternoon. There was some very strong competition
with 6 heats in most age divisions. Tom Harrington, George Hicks & Joel Sloman all paraded well to make the senior finals.
Steer classes were then judged by Old Boy Alec Clydsdale. Tom Devine led his middleweight steer to a 4th place in a class of 15 steers.
The steers were then fed and watered whilst we watched the rest of the judging and were treated to a BBQ sponsored by TEYS.
Thursday morning, saw another early start to ensure that the steers were well fed & watered. We then went into some demonstrations on
how to assess steers before starting the junior judging competition.
The boys judged 3 different classes of 4 animals to meet different market specifications. Each student had to submit their order for the
class which was then marked and scores totaled. George Hicks demonstrated a good eye for market specifications by scoring an impressive
148 out of 150 in the placings. The top scorers were then required to give a set of oral reasons to describe why they placed the class in
their chosen order. George spoke really well to finish in 5th place - Congratulations.
Steers were then loaded onto the truck for the final part of the competition, which is the carcase judging. We will receive feedback to
let us know how well our steers meet the specifications of the competition. (results for this should be available next week).
Thanks to all the students that have participated in the steer program over the year, we hope that you have learnt something and come back
next year.
Mrs Niaomi Evans & Mr Jack Redman (Steer team co-ordinators)
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