Holly Powell is tucking away a few tricks of the trade for a major dairy event after picking them up at a skills camp in Rangiora.
The 19-year-old was among 21 young handlers to attend the World Wide Sires National All Dairy Breeds Youth Camp organised by Holstein Friesian New Zealand at the local A&P showgrounds.
"I’ve been to four camps now and every year you pick up little pieces and tricks to make the animals look as good as possible, just picking up tricks to do the the top line and the belly hair."
Now she’s looking forward to putting them to practice at the three-day New Zealand Dairy Event at Feilding’s Manfeild Agri-Centre from this Tuesday.
She will be part of a team preparing a line-up for the dairy event from the Radly Holstein stud of about 400 pedigree Holsteins, owned by her parents, Brad and Kelly Powell, at Manawatu’s Rongotea.
The stud had put cattle into the dairy event the past six years and had been getting some good results, she said.
Leaving school in 2020 after finishing year 12, she knew a career in the dairy breeding industry was for her.
Today she is working as a farm assistant at Manawatu’s Maire Farm where there are 700 pedigree Holsteins.
As well as the Paramount Cup awarded to the top all-rounder, she also received the Top Senior Handler award.
The junior handler honours went to Canterbury’s Israel Hansen (13), while the Best Presented Heifer award was presented to Southland’s Chloe Thomson (18) and the Dennis Terry Memorial Trophy for the most improved clipper went to Canterbury’s Caitlyn Stewart (17).
Held over four days, the camp brings young people together to make friends, learn about animal behaviour and care and they take part in a mini-show and team building activities.
Depending on their age, each participant is given the responsibility of looking after a 10-month or four-month-old animal with Holstein, Friesian, Jersey or Ayrshire bloodlines.
Educational modules include genomics, clipping, animal health and photography, as well as an on-farm visit.
"I love seeing all the young ones come through and it’s really cool seeing the next generation get going," Miss Powell said.
HFNZ field officer Amelia Griffin said the handlers got a lot out of the camp, learning to do a full body clip, a top line — spiking up the top hair with hair spray to ensure the spine looks straight to the eye — and belly hair as they would for an A&P show.
She was amazed by the progress they made in such a short span every year, she said.
"Maybe 90% of the animals have never been used to a show before so they are barely broken in and we had one animal which lasted five minutes in the ring."
Miss Griffin said the challenging animal was barely recognisable four days later after its handler had turned it around.
She said the handlers benefited from the experience of dairy breeders who gave their time for the camp, which was the next step up from calf clubs.
Many of them would take lessons from the camp to assist breeders for the dairy event, she said.
"We have kids coming from all backgrounds. Most of them this year are farming kids, but it’s just about kids that like cows. That’s the main criteria."
Miss Powell had led the field.
"The Paramount Cup goes to the best all-rounder at camp and Holly is always amazing and this year she really stood out," Miss Griffin said.
"She helped so many kids, and to make sure she’d presented her own animal to such an amazing standard at the same time is a credit to her."
