More than 200 school students from around the Wide Bay will travel to the Bundaberg Region for the return of the annual Hoof and Hook Competition.
Hosting this year’s competition Bundaberg Christian College, with support from Isis District State High School, will take over the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct arena to put their cattle skills to the test.
Bundaberg Christian College head of science Bob Hibbard said the Wide Bay Interschool Hoof and Hook Competition had been running annually since 1992 and it was organised by interested agriculture teachers in the Wide Bay Region (and beyond) each year.
To assist in the running of Hoof and Hook this year Bundaberg Regional Council has offered a fee waiver to support the local event.
Running over three days, 15-17 September, students will gain valuable rural insights as they undergo a number of assessments including parading their steers in front of judges for the Hoof section.
“The first day will have students involved in a Junior Handling Competition,” Bob said.
“Thursday will see students parade steers they have prepared for a ‘Hoof’ competition. During the afternoon, these steers will be loaded onto a truck for transport to the Abattoir at Gympie for slaughter and the carcase data will be evaluated – the ‘Hook’ part of the competition.
“On Friday, every student will be given the opportunity to judge four pens of cattle – these may be cows, heifers, bulls etc.”
Bob said the students would then be asked to speak to an audience on their reasons for placing the cattle in whatever order they put them in.
He said the Agriculture Department at Bundaberg Christian College was very excited to be hosting the competition in the Bundaberg Region this year.
“Last year due to COVID, the competition was held remotely with schools sending in videos of cattle and students judging videos of steers, so it will be great to be with the cattle in person this year,” he said.
“I will also mention that as the competition has been running for so many years, many past students have gone on to careers in the cattle industry.
“This year we are pleased to welcome Brent Evans as our chief judge. Brent was a student at Kingaroy not too long ago and attended many Hoof and Hooks as a student.”
This year the competition has been moved from October to September due to the new Senior Syllabuses operating in Queensland.
“At Bundaberg Christian College we would like to pay special tribute to Avah Murdoch who is a year 12 student and has been a huge inspiration to our Hoof and Hook club over many years,” he said.
“Avah has battled health issues this year, so it will be great to have her here for her last show!
“Our school has been preparing four steers during the year.
“Ken’s Kepnock Butchery has partnered with us for a few years and following the event Bundaberg Christian College beef will be on sale there.”
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