Angus youth in good hands with vet-to-be at the fore

Charlie Salter will be juggling some big commitments as a fourth year vet student when he steps up to represent Angus Australia at the World Angus Forum in Tamworth and Brisbane in May.

Mr Salter is one of eight young Angus Australia members to have been selected for the team, alongside his sister, Matilda.

The pair had to submit written and video applications and go through a formal interview process to be selected.

"It's a ten-day program that starts in Sydney and goes to Tamworth for the World Angus Expo and then ends up in Brisbane for the forum," he said.

"There are two teams of four representing Angus Australia that compete in everything from showing cattle and judging cattle to what they call agri skills which has a vibe a bit like a young farmer challenge.

"It will be a bit hectic to fit in with my fourth year study but it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

When he's not busy studying vet science at James Cook University in Townsville, Mr Salter loves to help out his parents, Meg and Warren, and sisters Matilda and Jessica, with the family's stud Angus operation outside Dalby on the Darling Downs, Queensland.

The family run U8J Cattle Co which includes the MCJ Angus stud, established on Burenda, Alumy Creek, Wattle Top and Sandon Glenoch Angus genetics in 2015.

Mr Salter said his family owned and operated the Sandalwood Feedlot near Dalby for 15 years before selling it in 2019 to focus on the stud operation.

He said their exposure to Angus cattle through the feedlot left no room for argument on what breed of cattle they'd if they ever started their own seedstock business.

"It was our feedlotting background and what we saw with the carcase attributes and meat quality of the Angus," Mr Salter said.

"We fed a lot of long-fed Angus and Wagyu cattle at Sandalwood and we could see the advantage of the Angus breed. There wasn't any other option for us."

With just a couple of years left at university, Mr Salter has his sights set on becoming a cattle veterinarian.

"I love large animals and I have always been interested in cattle, particularly because of the feedlot and our stud," he said.

"I'm really interested in reproduction - all the AI and ET stuff and that was the main reason I went to vet school. I wanted to learn how to do that sort of cattle vet work."

Together with his sisters, Mr Salter has recently purchased three stud cows that the trio hope will become the foundation for their own stud herd.

"We don't have our own stud as such, we just leave it under mum and dad's registration but it's a good way to support myself through uni."