Meet more of the Junior Heifer Expo's senior champion herdsperson winners
From farm managers to veterinarians to stock agents, meat buyers and ag teachers, the former senior champion herdspersons of the SA Junior Heifer Expo have gone on to great things.
Many credit the life lessons they learned as entrants at the Heifer Expo for their success.
Stock Journal has caught up with four more of the major winners of the major award in the Expo's 40th year.
KATRINA PARKER (ROBERTS) - 1999 senior champion herdsperson and dairy herd veterinarian and consultant, Waikato, New Zealand
Winning the senior champion herdsperson award was life changing for Katrina Parker (Roberts) and put her on the path to working as a vet in New Zealand.
She competed for several years as a sub intermediate, but then missed a few years playing in netball carnivals or spending school holidays riding her horse.
She made a return to the Expo as a senior entrant while halfway through studying to be a vet at Melbourne University. She says she never expected to win but simply wanted to spend time with her brother Matt and sister-in-law to be Tracy Parker.
"The people that had won the senior herdsman previously I had always seen to be those that were clearly pursuing a career on a beef farm or in the stud stock industry, so for me I was never heading that way because I was becoming a veterinarian - James Herriot to be precise!," she said.
At the time, the Melbourne vet school did not look favourably on someone taking a year off and in order for her to take her trip the dean offered her a research year as an alternative option.
Her supervisor was Professor Jock McMillan - a world renowned bovine reproduction specialist.
Her project was investigating reproductive hormones in dairy cows that had never been measured before, working with cows, vets, farmers and human cancer researchers in a lab at Monash University.
"It was because of this work I ended up in New Zealand at the vet practice that I am still at today," Katrina said.
In 2003, she moved to New Zealand as a clinical dairy vet with Anexa and then a few years later moved into being a herd health veterinarian.
During her 22 years at Anexa, she has been the project manager on a number of significant research projects and published peer reviewed literature on heifer mastitis, bovine reproduction and bovine hypocalcaemia.
In 2024, Katrina was awarded the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year for her contribution to the dairy industry. She is married with three girls aged 8, 11 and 14.
Katrina's favourite memory of the Expo is the anatomy section in the educational program opening up the four stomachs of the cow, as well as trying to get the animals in the right order in the junior judging sessions, waking up early washing cows, getting hosed in the wash bays by someone and sleeping in the dorms at the showground.
Her most stressful event at the Heifer Expo was in 2000 - when she was on the committee - when a Limousin heifer raced down to the main showgrounds area and onto the oval.
"We had to get Willunga Vets to come and shoot her with a dart gun (for wildlife) to sedate her before she could calm down enough to catch her!" she said.
What is the biggest life lesson you learned from the Heifer Expo?
Have a go, try your best and be the best version of yourself. It's a funny time as a teenager and early 20s person competing for the senior herdsman as you think that you are supposed to behave a certain way, do a certain thing in order to score points to win.
But its actually not like that at all - its about being you and being authentic - if you love cows, love the industry, want to spend your life contributing to the rural sector- that will shine through.
JAKE PHILLIPS - 2008 senior champion herdsperson, Angus Australia extension manager and Phillips Cattle Company stud principal
The Heifer Expo offers exactly what you put into it, whether it is friendships, learning or job opportunities according to Jake Phillips.
His positive attitude has seen him go far in the beef industry to a role as Angus Australia's extension manager. He was a key organiser of the recent World Angus Forum.
With his wife Emma and son Angus, Jake operates Phillips Cattle Company, an Angus seedstock business based at Naracoorte.
Jake says his favourite memories of the Expo are meeting industry leaders and mentors, forging lifelong friendships and talking non-stop about beef for four days.
"On a practical level, I've gained extensive public speaking experience - from judging Royal Shows to leading events and workshops and my confidence in these areas began with the mentorship and opportunities I received judging cattle at the SA Junior Heifer Expo as a young boy," he said.
Jake recalls enjoying the senior section competing, leading, clipping and judging but says in the past few years his favourite part has been mentoring several young herdsmen and witnessing their success in both their careers and personal lives.
What is the biggest life lesson you learned from the Heifer Expo?
Your network is your net worth. The network of competitors, mentors, facilitators, committee and volunteers are part of your network for life, which is the most valuable part of being involved.
KEVIN LINTERN - 2012 senior champion herdsperson winner and Department of Environment and Water operations manager on kangaroo management
Kevin speaks fondly about his "cow family" who he says are true friends who will support him through the good and bad times.
And even though he didn't pursue a career in agriculture, he says the network he has created through the beef industry and the Expo have greatly assisted him in his career.
"I feel that there are a lot of people who work in the environmental sector who struggle to communicate with people in the agricultural sector," he said.
"We are all land managers and we all have a passion for looking after the land that we live on and care for."
He has been working with the Department of Environment & Water since 2011 and held several positions, from a ranger in the Fleurieu Peninsula to a fire management officer in the Limestone Coast.
He is currently the operations manager of kangaroo management and will soon return to his role as fire management officer in the Mount Lofty Ranges, but he still loves showing cattle getting to many Royal Shows.
This has mainly been with the Fogden family's Nangaringa Santa Gertrudis and Boulview Charolais studs at Loxton.
Kevin is also the co-convenor of the Mount Pleasant Show's beef cattle section, which attracts the largest number of entries in SA outside the Royal.
Kevin's advice to current Expo entrants is to have fun, make new friends and increase their networks.
He recalls when he was announced as the senior herdsperson winner at the 2012 presentations he was in shock.
It took his buddy Riley Pearce tapping him on the shoulder and saying its you.
"I am sure my thankyou speech was terrible, but I remember getting the biggest hug from Justine Fogden (past Expo coordinator)," he said.
What is the biggest life lesson you have learned from the Heifer Expo?
Never underestimate yourself, give everything a try, and keep asking questions.
ANNIKA WHALE (WYNBERG) - 2017 senior champion herdsperson, Angus breeder and agriculture teacher
It was a big final year for Annika competing at the SA Junior Heifer Expo in 2017, winning champion judge, parader and herdsperson.
But her advice to other Expo entrants is to persevere as it took her several attempts to win the coveted herdsperson award - coming third in her first attempt, then second by less than one point and finally winning by a significant score.
"Use your score sheets as learning tools, identify areas for growth, and continue to improve," she said.
"As the saying goes, practice makes perfect."
Annika also has many cherished memories of the friendships built during long nights spent corroborating on marketing assignments.
Since her win, she has established Rightime Angus stud, working alongside her husband and three children at Cowra in central NSW.
They are looking forward to their first production sale next month.
Annika also works full time as an agriculture and primary industries teacher at Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes, NSW.
What is the biggest lesson you learned from the Heifer Expo?
Never give up on your dreams. If you want something badly enough, you'll find a way to make it happen- even if it means travelling 1600 km across the country with a team of heifers and other kids in tow.
