The cattle pavilion at the Geelong showgrounds was packed with 22 exhibitors and more than 60 quality Highland cattle. The event was further blessed with unseasonably mild weather which resulted in record crowds attending the Saturday and Sunday events.
The three-day event kicked off on Friday 7th June with a day focused on education. Topics covered included show etiquette, washing and grooming, cattle structure, cattle photography and ring craft. A hands-on ring craft session concluded what proved to be a very educational and informative day for all who participated. In the evening, exhibitors, helpers, volunteers and enthusiasts had a chance to catch up around the fire at a BBQ provided by the Victorian Highland Breeders Group, featuring Highland beef, and wine provided by Mr Mick Wines. A special thanks to Darren Spargo and Bill Carter who prepared the delicious meal, and our surprise American visitor, Sam Vogl from Circle V Cattle Co, who was promptly promoted to guest speaker. Sam found himself in the hot seat, facing numerous questions about Highland showing in the USA. However, he offered many intriguing insights and thoughtful commentary.
Saturday 8th June dawned with surprisingly good weather (this was after all Geelong in Winter), and very soon the crowds started pouring in. By the time the Paraders and Judging classes got under way, the arena was surrounded by interested spectators, and it was a credit to the breed to see the large numbers of junior (and some not so junior) participants show off their parading and judging skills. We were fortunate to have as judges Jarrod and Fiona Koch, a local husband and wife tag-team, who did an excellent job not only in judging, but also educating and encouraging all the participants. The food vendors were kept on their toes, as we estimate that there were more than 1,500 spectators on the day. After lunch, the fun started with some spirited antics in the Calf Classes followed by the hugely popular Costume Classic. That evening we all caught up again around the fire for some wood-fired pizza and entertainment by local folk duo The Twa Bards, plus there were lovely cocktails available from the Bellarine Distillery stand. After dinner, we had the privilege of hearing two of our elder statesman, Trevor Perry and Ray Atchison, talk about their involvement in the breed spanning many decades.
Sunday morning dawned with some authentically testy Scottish weather, but thankfully it soon cleared up and the main show got underway, with another good showing of spectators. The show kicked off with the traditional sounds of the Geelong Highland Pipe Band, followed by a performance by the Geelong Scottish Dancers. Judging the stud cattle then got under way, with a quality offering of the best Highland cattle from around the country. This year we were privileged to have a highly knowledgeable Highland specialist judge in Jacob Larson from the USA. Jacob took his time judging the animals and provided some insightful and valuable feedback on every animal. The show was live streamed on Facebook, allowing both local and international enthusiasts to enjoy the event in real time, while also providing a valuable resource for later analysis, especially for exhibitors, who, ironically, always miss most of the show. There were some very competitive classes, and the days of easy ribbons are certainly gone. Female classes were strong with more than eight entries in the 12-16 months and 16-20 months classes and more than six entries in the 24-36 months class. Senior Cow 3-5 years saw seven entries battle it out for the ribbons. Junior and Senior Bull classes were a little lighter in numbers but certainly not in quality with Larimar of Amrabull Park (AI) (9515), exhibited by Amrabull Park Heritage Breeds, taking out Grand Champion Bull and Supreme Exhibit for the 2024 National Show. The show concluded with our dinner and awards presentation, which kicked off with the traditional piping in of the Haggis by Craig Spriggins, followed by a stirring rendition of the Ode to the Haggis performed by Graeme McColgan. We were also privileged to have Trent Sullivan, the Mayor of City of Greater Geelong, as our honored guest. After the awards ceremonies, further entertainment was provided by the impromptu flash auction (ambush auction!), orchestrated by Brad Holdman, Sam Vogl, ‘Lil B’ and Tom ‘Robbo’ Robinson, which left many a startled bidder contemplating the wisdom of their injudicious ongoing support of the show. Graeme and the rest of The Stovies then continued to provide entertainment throughout the evening. Congratulations to all our trophy and award winners, who were all worthy winners and a reflection of the quality and depth of the Highland breed in Australia.
In conclusion, this show was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors and the tireless work of the 2024 Show Committee. This small group of volunteers from the Victorian Highland Breeders Group worked incredibly hard to make the Show such a success. We especially want to acknowledge the generous support we received from the City of Greater Geelong whose Community Event Grant and ongoing promotional support played a huge part in making this a major event for Geelong. This year we also had incredible sponsor engagement both from our loyal long-term sponsors as well as from many new sponsors from within the ag industry and Geelong based businesses, which resulted in a record Online Auction and Raffle. I am still personally gutted that I didn’t win Wally in the raffle, made worse by the fact that I sold the winning ticket! Administrative support was provided before, during and after the show by the ever-helpful Nikki Ward, Executive Officer of the AHCS. We were supported by many volunteers during the show, but I especially want to acknowledge the selfless efforts of Ben and Tanika Butler who gave so much of their time during the weekend to assist. As part of our commitment to the City of Greater Geelong, we partnered with the Lions Club of Geelong to support our parking and gate management, and to run our food stall, and my deepest appreciation to Michelle Challis OAM (generally referred to as my ‘show wife’) and her crew. The Lions were overwhelmed by the public attendance but responded magnificently and soldiered on with tired smiles – and more than 360 Highland beef pies sold. A special thanks to our other food vendors who helped feed the crowds, including Jun from Jun’s Home Kitchen, Elisabeth and Colin from Kilted Haggis, Chris and his gang from Travel 'N Pizza, and the critically important drug merchant Bert Eggens from Float ‘n’ Café. Finally, a big thanks to our many stall holders who provided the crowds with an opportunity to pick up some show souvenirs, including the AHCS, VHBG, Koolah Creek Highlands and LySar Photography, Kenzie the Coo, Matt Hill Projects, Steve Wiliams Art and Bellarine Distillery. I also have to thank Brad Crompton for his tireless pursuit of raffle ticket sales, and Jeff Sheather and Maddi Kent for crewing the VHBG stand.
And personally, to take any credit without acknowledging the incredible assistance of Lesley Harris and Megan Howse would be disingenuous.
Thanks to everyone who played a part in making this show a success!
Hugo Howse
Show Convenor
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