SA Junior heifer expo winner makes strong North American connections
Oscar's Heifer Expo study tour
Pictures supplied
Oscar Golding - the 2024 SA Junior Heifer Expo senior herdsperson winner - says his travels have given him a great insight into the North American beef industry.
But after four months in the United States and Canada, the livestock hand at Palgrove Ultrablacks on Macintyre Station in NSW has also come home with a new-found appreciation of Australia's beef industry, especially our biosecurity and traceability systems.
Oscar's itinerary started at Agribition in Alberta in November last year and was followed by the National Western Stock Show in Denver and Fort Worth, and San Antonio stock shows in Texas, as well as visiting ranches and attending on-property sales until he flew home in late March.
He says it was great to see their producers enjoying exceptional prices with commercial 'bred' heifers (PTIC) making US $5000-$6000.
He was really impressed with the 4H steer show program and how it encourages youth into agriculture, especially those from non-ag backgrounds.
"It gives young kids an opportunity to learn from someone older than them because it has to be someone under 18 showing the animal, hopefully the person feeding the steer teaches them about feeding steers and teaches them about the cows too," he said.
Oscar says it was amazing to see how life-changing having a good steer could be with the top selling steer at Denver making US $175,000 and the top steer at Forth Worth from nearly 2000 head making US $340,000.
These funds go back to the exhibitors of the steers for their college education.
"The top 10 out of each class will make it to the sale and while they are sold in pounds (weight) those 10th-placed steers were still making around $20,000," he said.
Oscar says his most memorable stay in Canada was with the Trefiak family, MJT Cattle Company, Wainwright, Alberta, who run Angus, Hereford and Charolais studs.
"They were a beautiful family with some great cattle and they were at the forefront - they are always thinking about the best bull they can use, the best cow they can bring into their herd," he said.
"Their resilience was also second to none, moving stock in two foot of snow and photographing bulls when it was minus 20 degrees."
In the United States, he particularly enjoyed his time at Chimney Rock Cattle Co in Concord, Arkansas, especially working for them for a few days in the lead-up to their sale.
Both Chimney Rock and Palgrove are part of Geneplus, a genetics-sharing group so Oscar says it was special to see some full and half siblings to Ultrablack bulls they have used in Australia such as Masterpiece, Brickhouse and Business Line.
"As Palgrove progresses we want to export semen so it is interesting to see the same breed I work with every day in another country and see where we need to be for our cattle to work in their environment and with their cows," he said.
They also run a leading Brangus herd and a few Angus.
"I got on really well with their manager Derrick Miller, we talked about cattle for hours," he said.
He was also impressed by Chimney Rock's dam identification system which allowed them to keep track of cow families not just sire lines.
Oscar says he was also keen to compare the Angus cattle to those his family is breeding in their Windsor stud, based at Hahndorf.
"Their Angus cattle I found overall were more moderate but they had just as much carcase and body to them," he said.
"They were weaning earlier but putting weight on faster with those cows able to wean 800 pound calves at six months where we might be weaning a slightly older calf and looking more like 300kg than 400kg."
"I did find a lot of people are following figures a lot heavier than here and it is impacting their structure too, particularly their feet."
Oscar thanked Nutrien and the Show Society Foundation, the major sponsors of the study trip, for the life-changing experience.
"On a personal level, I learned a lot about myself. I got stuck in a few little tough spots and there is no one there to save you," he said.
Oscar says it has given him a clearer career direction too.
"I thoroughly enjoy the seedstock industry within Australia, I love breeding and producing and being part of producing high-value cattle that go out to the commercial cattleman and do a good job too."
The SA Junior Heifer Expo - which this year is celebrating 40 years - will be held from July 14 to 17 at the Adelaide Showgrounds. Online entries for the 2025 Expo open on Monday, April 28 at 7pm.
- Details:sajuniorheiferexpo.com.au
