Written by Shannon Elton, Darling Downs Next Gen Delegate
What an amazing show season we have had. With most of the shows in the Darling Downs now concluded, I wanted to take the opportunity to showcase the amazing work being done by every sub-chamber.
Our run of shows kicks off with Stanthorpe and I may be slightly biased, as this is also my local show. However, I believe we truly dedicate a great deal of time and effort to Next Gen initiatives.
This year we celebrated our 150th anniversary and focused strongly on incorporating as many youth events as possible. Some new events for us included Prime Cattle Young Judges, Stud Sheep Young Judges and the Young Farmers Challenge. We have also established a Next Gen committee. This is something we are extremely proud of and something we are hoping to model across other sub-chambers, with the goal of building a network of Next Gen members throughout our region.
I believe one of the major gaps within many show committees is maintaining the involvement of young people. We strongly believe that establishing a Next Gen committee is a way to channel and maintain the involvement of young people who have participated in programs such as the Showgirl and Rural Ambassador competitions.
Stanthorpe has some big plans for next year, with plenty of ideas for our Stud Cattle youth competitions, Young Farmers Challenge, Poultry Young Judges, Next Gen School Art Competition and the addition of our Country Kids and Junior Showgirl and Rural Ambassador competitions.
The Darling Downs is in a very favourable position when it comes to cattle competitions, with many of our local schools having strong agricultural departments and being heavily involved in the local show circuit. All of our sub-chambers offer Young Judges and Paraders competitions, and some shows have really embraced these events and put a great deal on offer for the young people competing.
One particular highlight is the Clifton night-time heifer show. For this event, all handlers are required to be under the age of 25. It is a fantastic competition and one that is always a great success. Clifton Show has long embraced junior judging competitions, and this year was no exception, with a great variety on offer including Stud Cattle, Prime Cattle, Angora Goats, Sheep and Farm Produce.
Another highlight in the cattle section is Crows Nest Show. They have created a perpetual youth award, sponsored by one of their local studs, which recognises the highest-scoring youth participant across Prime Cattle Young Judges, Stud Cattle Young Judges and Paraders.
Another brilliant initiative came from Pittsworth Show, which held an NDIS Paraders class within its Stud Cattle section. They also ran a social media call-out leading up to the show, specifically aimed at high school students, encouraging them to volunteer and gain hands-on experience in a section that interested them. The team at Pittsworth should be incredibly proud of the creativity they have shown in increasing youth involvement throughout their show.
Toowoomba Royal hosted the sub-chamber finals for our Showgirl and Rural Ambassador competitions, which are always a great success. The organisers should be very proud of what they have achieved. I find the sub-chamber finals are always an amazing showcase of the talented young people we have across our region.
Toowoomba Royal also hosted the Poultry Young Judges sub-chamber final, and it is great to see how many local shows have added this competition to their schedules. One of the highlights for me at Toowoomba Royal is the Dairy Youth Afternoon. The effort that goes into organising this event is to be commended. The programme consists of heifer show classes, Paraders competitions and Young Judges competitions.
To wrap up our cattle sub-chamber events, the finals were held at Bell. These competitions are conducted alongside an open day event, allowing competitors who did not qualify for the finals to still take part. This provides a great opportunity for schools and other competitors to come along and compete, and is a brilliant initiative of the Darling Downs Sub-Chamber.
Aside from all of our youth competitions, credit must be given to all of the sub-chambers and their volunteers for the programmes they deliver. Every show has been jam-packed with fun and engaging activities. I strongly believe that our shows play an important role in connecting farmers and agriculture with the wider community.
Involving farming children and young people is made easier through the many competitions available, but it is the broader programme of events and entertainment that captures the rest of the community and brings families through the gates. Through these experiences, many young people have the opportunity to discover something new, find something they love and perhaps even become involved in agriculture and their local show.
In conclusion, I just want to say how immensely proud I am to be the Next Gen representative for such an amazing and innovative sub-chamber. The commitment shown across the Darling Downs to supporting youth involvement has been inspiring, and I am very excited for what we all have in store for the 2027 show season.
