JUNIOR judging can be daunting in any environment.
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Imagine making your selection, then grabbing a microphone and speaking to a crowd and an over judge.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, junior judging has taken on a new platform that might be considered even more challenging. Hamish Maclure, 16, is in Year 10 at Yanco Agricultural High School and was named the St Paul's College Junior Judging Schools Competition winner in the over 15 age category.
And it's a win he isn't taking lightly. Mr Maclure candidly speaks about how challenging the competition was. He said it was so much more difficult than previous junior judging environments he had been in.
The seasoned competitor, who started junior judging cattle as a Year 5 student, said the online platform certainly pushed him out of his comfort zone.
He said it wasn't the same as viewing cattle live and being able to compare them side by side.
"I was not comfortable at all," he said.
Yet his ability to judge cattle, and explain the reasoning to overjudge Grame Hopf via video was obviously impressive enough to earn the win.
Mr Maclure was tasked with judging Limousin heifers and bulls. He was judged on how he placed the animals, his reasoning and the overall presentation of his talking on the video.
"I was not confident," he said.
"It (the win) came as a really big surprise," he said.
Despite, the challenges of judging cattle online and later being judged himself on his stock knowledge and presentation, Mr Maclure believes this could be the way of the future.
He said more cattle shows and auctions are adopting an online format. And online competitions have come to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is something you have to learn about," he said.
However, if it came to actually buying an animal Mr Maclure said he would like to visually appraise it and make a selection in the flesh.
Agriculture teacher and cattle show stock coordinator at Yanco Agricultural High School, Kim Weller said three students from the school entered the competition.
She said the online format allowed them to learn new skills.
The overjudges for the competition were Mr Hopf, who is from Murwillumbah, and Glenn Trout of Holbrook in southern NSW.
Students from throughout Australia entered the competition which was the brainchild of Emma Finemore of St Paul's College at Walla Walla.
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Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
