BURNHAM YOUTH AWARDED TO HAYDEN HANSON

Third generation Brangus breeder, Hayden Hanson is the 2020 Burnham Youth Award recipient. Hayden, currently a Junior Member of the Australian Brangus Cattle Association (ABCA) keeps alive the strong ties the family has with the prestigious award. He’s the third member of the Hanson family to have their name on the plinth. Hayden’s father Brad Hanson, was the third recipient of the award in 2000 while the new latest recipient’s older sibling, Isabella took it out in 2018.

Image: KB Consulting

Burnham Youth awarded to Hayden Hanson

Hayden’s preferred breed of cattle and his involvement in the Brangus community now and into the future is assured. His parents Brad and Vicki operate the Bullakeana prefix outside Moura in central Queensland. The Bullakeana prefix was established over twenty years ago so it understandable that the young man has had numerous experiences in both the commercial and seedstock arenas from an early age.

“Bull selling season is one of my favourite times of year, I thoroughly enjoy researching catalogues, comparing data and inspecting bulls to see what genetics can be added to our herd to improve our genetics,” said Hayden. At the tender age of seven Hayden attended Junior Beef in Rockhampton and this is where the seed was planted and as he puts it, “I’ve been hooked on showing cattle ever since. Every year my father and I draft our weaners and select bulls, steers and heifers to break in to compete at local shows and carcase competitions.” Hayden has been a member of the Rockhampton Grammar School Show Team for five years and looks forward to further achievements this year, his final year of schooling. “Some of my fellow team members haven’t shown cattle or lived on a cattle property before joining the Show Team, it’s these fellow team members that I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and skills with at Cattle Club every week. The great thing is that twice a week I get to leave the school grounds and do what I love the most, hang out with cattle,” added Hayden. In the past three years Hayden has competed in shows and cattle youth camps in Victoria, New South Wales, southern and central Queensland. In 2019 he attended the Cooyar Brangus Feature Show, winning Junior Parading and Prime Judging at the event. He took out the Darling Downs Sub Chamber finals for Prime Judging making him eligible to compete at the 2019 Brisbane Royal where he claimed third place in the State Prime Judging Competition and placing in the top five in the Junior Paraders competition. Last year he selected 11 head to break in and prepare for both regional and Feature Shows and Beef 2021. Haydon like many other youngsters in the Brangus fraternity attended the inaugural Brangus Youth Camp along with his three sisters and a team of eleven head. He particularly enjoyed mentoring and assisting other participants throughout the camp, sharing knowledge and experience with juniors that may not have had those opportunities that he had previously been given. At the conclusion of the hugely successful Brangus Youth Camp Hayden took home a chest of awards, first in the Junior Stud Judging (16 – 25 years), Herdsman Award for the same age bracket, Overall Junior Stud Cattle Judge and Grand Champion Herdsman enabling him to become the Associate Brangus Judge at Beef 2021.

“My goal for the 2021 Brangus Youth Camp is to be a mentor and or team leader for the younger age groups, in the future I’d like to become a member of the Brangus Youth Camp Committee. I’m really passionate about the longterm future of this camp, after all, my older sister Isabella and I have been persuading or some call it nagging, our father for ages beforehand to establish a Brangus Youth Camp in central Queensland,” added Hayden. With plans for the future Hayden has already commenced his own breeding programme under the umbrella of Bullakeana prefix by assembling a group of seven registered females, adding, “As long as I can remember I’ve been attending the ABCA Rockhampton Sale and the Central Highlands Angus, Brangus and Ultrablack Bull Sale (CHABUS), I sold my first bulls at CHABUS in 2016 and again in 2017.” In 2020 he and Isabella combined, pooled their resources and purchased a heifer at the ABCA Rockhampton Sale National Brangus Sale with Hayden adding, “This year I’ll be looking for another heifer in a bid to introduce different genetics to our stud. I’ve recently purchased a steer from my uncle to grow out with the intention of entering him in the Central Queensland Carcase Competition. I’ve also selected a homebred steer which was broken in on the 2020 September holidays along with bulls and heifers that have been selected for a prospective show team.” Hayden eyes other aspirations as far as the future goes saying, “I’d like to pursue a career in the agricultural industry, follow in my father’s footsteps, become a seed stock producer and a Stock and Station Agent. I’ve always been passionate about working with cattle and meeting people and taken every opportunity to go with my father learning to market cattle and be an agent. As well as being agent I’d like to become an auctioneer. From the very first sale I attended I have always wanted to learn how to make that magical rhythm as well as auctioneers could.” Following the completion of his secondary studies at Rockhampton Grammar School, Hayden plans to spend the next two years working on a large-scale Australian cattle operation and a stud operation in America gaining knowledge and skills to support my application into Marcus Oldham College, Victoria where he intends undertaking a Bachelor of Agriculture. “What appeals to me the most about the Brangus breed is their ability to thrive in different environments, market suitability, their aesthetics, eye appeal and adaptability. My aim is to breed fertile lines coupled with balance, proportion, natural softness, muscling, coverage with an importance placed on doing ability and low maintenance. Like many others we’re aiming to breed a product that retains commercial relevance. That’s why Brangus, in my opinion, are popular and practical in terms of their functionality, ease of maintenance, high grading quality and the market suitability.” “Through family, I’ve been surrounded by Brangus all my life and the opportunities that they and the breed have given me instils the wish to continue working with my family’s stud and to advance what the breed was designed for, top quality beef,” said Hayden.

Australian Brangus Cattle Association

PO Box 814, Armidale NSW 2350 www.brangus.com.au Twitter: AusBrangus Facebook: AustralianBrangusCattleAssociation

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

TESSA PEARSON (02) 6773 3373 0437 986 081 tessa@brangus.com.au

BreedPLAN

(02) 6773 3555 brangus@breedplan.une.edu.au breedplan.une.edu.au

TBTS Technical Officers

PAUL WILLIAMS 0427 018 982 paul@tbts.une.edu.au TIM EMERY 0408 707 155 tim@tbts.une.edu.au tbts.une.edu.au

PRESIDENT Director Zone 1

BRAD SAUNDERS ‘Pheasant Creek’ Wowan Qld 4702 0458 359 105 pcbrangus@bigpond.com

Director Zone 2

JUSTIN BOSHAMMER ‘Elgin’ Condamine Qld 4416 0427 665 128 jb@jkcattleco.com

Director Zone 3

FLEETWOOD GROBLER ‘Stockyard’ TAMWORTH NSW 2340 0428 135 652 fmgrobler@gmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT Federal Representative

AMANDA SALISBURY ‘Bimbadeen Q’ Eidsvold Qld 4627 (07) 4167 5141 0427 677 381 bimbadeen@skymesh.com.au

Federal Representative

EDWARD QUINN ‘Voewood’ Calliope Qld 4680 0418 716 442 brangusvoewood@bigpond.com

Federal Representative

SUE FAWCETT ‘Lazy S’ Condamine Qld 4416 0428 745 186 lazys.stud@gmail.com

TREASURER Director Zone 4

LUKE KEOGH ‘Cobwell’ Barham NSW 2732 (03) 5453 7137 0428 536 587 keoghcattle@activ8.net.au

Federal Representative

JACK WRIGHT ‘Killara’ Banana Qld 4702 0427 944 083 jack.ramseycreek@gmail.com