Fig Tree Park Angus charity heifer proceeds to go to Angus Youth
In honour of late stud owner and principal Jason Siddell, Fig Tree Park Angus will next week be offering a heifer at sale with proceeds going to the Angus Foundation and the Pancare Foundation through Sarah Wheeler, currently on “The Outback Long Ride”.
In honour of Jason and to mark of 25 years of Fig Tree Park Angus, his wife Laura and their family will be offering Lot 35 of their upcoming sale, Fig Tree Park Jennifer U108# as a charity heifer, with the proceeds going to support fundraising efforts and the development of young people in the beef industry.
Jason passed away on the 13th of May following a battle with cancer.
The Fig Tree Park Angus sale will be held at Wandsworth Hall on Friday July 5th from 1pm and will be interfaced with StockLive. Inspections are welcomed on property at “Strabanne” from 9am-12pm on sale day.
The donation heifer is described by the Fig Tree Angus team as, “An outstanding heifer calf sired by XL Beef’s Gunsmoke P8 who Jason purchased from Steinbeck’s for his sheer power, carcase potential and excellent claw and leg structure, who he believed he was going to breed excellent replacement females.
“U108 out of an old Fig Tree Park Jennifer E2, and has been recently weaned for this sale.”
“A beautiful bodied heifer with excellent structure and plenty of style and shape, we would love to see her enter to show ring and take it back to where Jason’s passion and enthusiasm about the cattle industry began!”
The donation to the Angus Foundation comes following Jason’s long history with Angus Australia through the Angus Youth program. In 2006 Jason was awarded the Andrew Stebbings Memorial Scholarship by Angus Youth and travelled to England and Scotland for 6 weeks visiting some of the largest Angus herds in the United Kingdom and judging at Royal shows. Jason was also involved in the Angus Youth National Roundup, including coordinating the Roundup in Glen Innes in 2011 where he was awarded the Cornell Shield for his efforts. Jason also interviewed for the Michigan State University Scholarship.
“As a family we have decided to donate 50% of the funds raised through auctioning this heifer to the Angus Youth Foundation, with the remaining 50% donated to Sarah Wheeler who is undertaking a massive 5,500km solo journey on horseback called “The Outback Long Ride” for the Australian Pancare Foundation which undertakes research into Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers, having lost Jason in May to Stage IV Oesophageal Cancer after a 14 month battle,” said Laura Siddell.
“In 2023 we created the Top of the Range Meat Co Internship to be awarded to a member of Angus Youth. This Internship was awarded to Isabelle Preston, who was able to spend a week with Jason prior to his passing. Issy is continuing her internship with me, as we show her our paddock to plate journey using Fig Tree Park Angus cattle genetics.”
Jason featured in the 2022 Angus Australia Summer Bulletin where he spoke of his involvement in the Angus Youth Program and said, “Angus Youth has a proven history of developing beef industry professionals which have played and continue to play a pivotal role in the success of the Australian beef industry.
“Not only will you make friends and life-long industry contacts but the knowledge and skills that you will gain by attending Roundups and embracing scholarship and bursaries program opportunities, will kick start your career.
“This was especially evident to me after co-ordinating the Angus Youth Glen Innes Roundup in 2011. The opportunity to see first-hand the knowledge, skills and generosity of young people involved in the Angus Youth movement, definitely cemented in my mind that the Australian beef industry was going to be in good hands moving forward.”
Angus Youth is the junior activities division of Angus Australia and is currently one of the largest and most active breed youth groups in the country.
The program offers many opportunities to its members through its extensive education programs. Angus Youth members are invited to attend numerous activities throughout the year and thanks to the Angus Foundation is able to offer members a comprehensive Scholarship, Awards and Bursaries program.
