Telford Rural Polytechnic student Trudy Robertson, who
graduates tonight, at Telford yesterday. Photo by Helena de
Reus.
Telford student Trudy Robertson may only be 21, but she's
already got a few agricultural awards under her belt.
Miss Robertson has won beef herdsperson honours at A and P
shows in Wanaka, Invercargill and Gore over the past three
months.
She said it was challenging to watch the animal she was
showing and try to keep it calm, while keeping an eye on the
judge at all times.
"I grew up seeing my parents and grandparents herding.
They've been really good and taught me everything I know."
Miss Robertson, who usually works with South Devon beef cows,
breaking in cattle at her parents' 60ha farm near Feilding,
has been studying at Telford this year.
She will graduate with a certificate in agriculture tonight
and plans to return next year to study for a diploma of rural
business. Later she hopes to carry on the family farm.
Miss Robertson started leading calves when she was 10 and
began entering A and P shows when she was 11.
"I've been competing for years and the contestants are
getting younger now - I'm one of the older ones. The cut-off
age is 23 or 25, depending on the competition."
Last year, she won the senior handler's class and was named
the Allflex Senior Beef Ambassador for 2010, at the Future
Beef New Zealand competitions in Feilding. She has
participated in the Future Beef event since its creation in
2007 and said she was "relieved and thrilled" to have finally
won the top award.
She also was the senior winner of the New Zealand Young Beef
Breeders Herdsperson at the Royal New Zealand Show held in
Canterbury in 2009.
Next week Miss Robertson will return to Feilding to practise
for the South Australia Junior Heifer Expo, which will be
held in Adelaide in July.
"The Australian competition is more full-on. I have to learn
a few new things like how to clip cows, but I've just got to
do my best."
Clipping took place under the watchful eye of a judge, who
checked that an animal's hair was clipped to the same length.
helena.dereus@odt.co.nz
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