'I'm allergic to cattle': Poll Hereford breeder's next steps after interbreed win

He has just taken out Queensland's highest showing accolade, so what's next for Te-Angie's Richard Ogilvie?

On Saturday, August 9, Mr Ogilvie from NSW's New England region was presented with his sixth most successful exhibitor award in seven RNA shows and had a day in the ring that won't be forgotten easily.

Then the cherry on top of the icing on the cake was a win in the interbreed bull later in the afternoon.

The win was in some ways bittersweet, as the family property at Wongwibinda is being sold, the Ogilvies are moving to Dorrigo, NSW, with a downsized herd of around 130 cattle.

"I'm allergic to cattle," Mr Ogilvie said.

"The only thing in life I've loved doing is cattle. I live and breathe cattle.

"I sat down the other day and worked out that over my lifetime I've bred and sold more than 150,000 Poll Hereford cattle."

The allergy was first described as a form of hay fever, but its impact is like hives or, in the worst case, an eczema, which requires hospitalisation.

"I've been hospitalised three times and in the last eight months lost 38 kilograms," he said.

He said he stepped into drench cattle while his son Will was away, and the result was being covered from head to toe with hives.

"I love doing things with cattle, but downsizing to Dorrigo means I will be a part-time cattle breeder," he said.

"Time to stop and enjoy life a bit more."

To say it has been a bit of a journey is quite the understatement.

When Mr Ogilvie relocated his cattle herd in 2013 from Robe in south east South Australia to Wongwibinda, east of Armidale, he lifted 1250 cows with calves at foot.

Then came the 2019 drought, a natural disaster that hammered herds and flocks up and down the nation's east coast.

"By the end of the 2019 drought, we had 187 left," he said.

"We got through the drought, and then we expanded our numbers again through AI and a bit of embryo transfer and all that sort of stuff. And it's now obviously paying off."

The payoff has been the success of the Te-Angie Poll Hereford cattle at the Royal Queensland Show.

Eight years ago, the Te-Angie cattle debuted at the Ekka and took home a junior champion bull broad ribbon.

It's been a happy hunting ground for Te-Angie, the most successful even.

"I have gone to Sydney (Royal), but it's just logistically a bit too hard for us and and I have more success at Ekka. So it's good to come across the border and and do Ekka," Mr Ogilvie said.

The trip from Wongwibinda, NSW, to Brisbane is under six hours, and Homebush in Sydney, where the RAS grounds are, is seven hours to the south.

After the Hereford judging, where Te-Angie Turbo was awarded the grand champion bull sash, it was onto the interbreed classes.

"Once I had a look around at the other cattle, I thought we might have a chance," he said.

"The Angus and Santa Gertrudis bulls had me worried, but once they got into the ring and started to move around, I thought we had a bit of a chance."

Mr Ogilvie said there were plenty of celebrations in the Te-Angie camp.

"I had two scoops of mango ice cream, because I don't drink. There are lot more people in the bush these days who don't drink," he said.