The Royal Melbourne Show once again showcased the best of Victoria’s agricultural youth, with the beef carcass competition drawing in 148 top-quality beef animals and 139 enthusiastic students from 11 schools across the state. Among them, the Longerenong College show team made a strong impression in both the Paraders and Beef Carcass competitions.
The event is split into two major categories: Paraders, which tests the handler’s showmanship and control, and the Beef Carcass competition, which evaluates the quality of the animal both live (“on the hoof”) and post-processing (“on the hooks”).
Judging the Perfect Beef Animal
Each steer is weighed and classified into market categories:
- Domestic: 400–480 kg
- Heavy Domestic: 481–560 kg
- Export: 561 kg+
Live judging focuses on fat cover, muscle development, and conformation, with handlers tasked with presenting their animals to highlight strengths and mask faults. After live judging, the animals are processed at JBS, where carcasses are assessed using the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system. This includes criteria like fat cover, pH, and meat colour—all vital to eating quality and market suitability.
Longerenong’s Results
Despite fierce competition from established studs and experienced schools, Longerenong’s homebred steers and dedicated students earned impressive results:
Winner of the Melbourne Polytechnic Trophy for the highest scored carcass bred by a school
Paraders (Handler Placings):
- Tara Dunsmuir – 1st in her heat (Longerenong Scar)
- Eliza Mounsey – 2nd in her heat (Longerenong Sir Licksalot)
- Bella Hardy – 3rd in her heat (Longerenong Winnie)
- Katie Pollard – 4th in her heat (Longerenong Eyore)
- Lucy Sharp – 5th in her heat (Longerenong Dug)
- Lexie Heinrich – 5th in her heat (Longerenong Tinkerbell)
Carcass Placings:
- Longerenong Winnie (Bella Hardy) – 2nd in carcass heat
- Longerenong Burger (Jack Batson) – 2nd in carcass heat
- Longerenong Baloo (Bella Lutz) – 4th in carcass heat
- Longerenong Pumba (Fletcher Bright) – 5th in carcass heat
More Than Just a Competition
From arrival on Wednesday to departure on Sunday, the Longerenong team operated like a well-oiled machine. Days began before 5 a.m. with washing and drying the steers, followed by meticulous bedding maintenance and feeding. The students’ commitment to their animals was evident in every detail.
“For many of these students, this was their first cattle show experience,” said a proud team coordinator. “To perform so well under the pressure of a Royal show is nothing short of outstanding.”
Acknowledgements
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the generous sponsors who made this experience possible from Warrrack butchers who provided meat for our students, JT Johnsons for providing the cattle’s hay, Intech Engineering, Western Ag, AWN Wimmera, Lattanzios, Kellanne Cattel Co. and ABIF supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders.
