NSW Alpaca Youth

Youth Event

Calvary Schools Livestock Challenge – 22 to 23 February

By Emma Haupt, 14

In February each year Calvary Chris�an College hosts the Calvary Schools Livestock Challenge which is endorsed by the Beenleigh Show Society. This event is designed to give students who are new to showing and judging livestock, or returning for another year, the opportunity to learn about the various breeds on show before pu�ng their skills into ac�on. Across the weekend students judged and handled alpaca, angora goats and sheep.

This year was our biggest yet with 140 students a�ending on the Saturday for the sheep events and 60 staying onsite/returning the next day for the alpaca and angora goat events. Eight schools from across greater southeast Queensland and up to Rockhampton were represented.

For the first �me this year, we were lucky to have two alpaca judges fly up to Carbrook in Qld for the weekend event. Louise Charman facilitated our Parader events and Jillian Elwers-Holmes our Young Judges compe��ons. To say that things were a li�le crazy at �mes was an understatement, however, the professionalism of these two ladies ensured that every student had their �me to learn and then prac�ce their newfound skills. Over 80% of the students a�ending the alpaca events had never judged or shown an alpaca before.

Our parader events were held across both the Saturday and Sunday. Louise along with Courtney Gordon and Makayla Holznagel (appren�ce) gave the students the knowledge they needed to take their animal into the parader ring. For many par�cipants, this was the first �me they had held an alpaca and they all took to the challenge with vigour. There were smiles all round as par�cipants exited the ring acknowledging their sense of achievement. Thanks to Majeska Alpacas, Hawima Alpacas and Calvary Chris�an College for providing animals for the students to use.

On Sunday Jillian was front and centre, teaching the students the skills they needed in order to judge the alpacas and fleeces on show. Many of the characteris�cs that par�cipants learned to look at in judging alpacas cross over to the other livestock they judge and vice versa. This helped them to really engage with what Jillian was teaching. There were lots of laughs had by all, which made the event very enjoyable for all. Harbak Alpaca Stud kindly provided the animals used for young judges.

The Calvary Schools Livestock Challenge was an amazing experience for all of the students, staff and parents who a�ended. It not only taught people how to judge and handle but also how to be respec�ul of others and work as a team. I recommend to anyone to get engaged with alpaca compe��ons and to have a go. You will not be disappointed.