Coming from over the ditch to attend your first Roundup
There was one competitor in attendance at the 2024 NH Foods Angus Youth Roundup that had quite the journey to be part of the event, and that was international participant, Jess Johnstone.
Notching off her first time at Roundup at the event in Tamworth in January, Jess made the trek across the ditch from her home of Ranui Angus at Whanganui, on the North Island of New Zealand, to take part in this years event.
When asked why she chose to make her way to Australia to participate in the event, Jess said, “I was sitting at the dinner table with Jack Laurie and he was talking about Roundup and I thought, oh, that’d be cool to go across to.”
Through the learning opportunities presented during Roundup, Jess was able to gain a better understanding of Australian beef production in comparison to that of back home in New Zealand, in areas such as the feedlotting industry.
The sessions from NH Foods Australia and the teams of Oakey Beef Exports and Wingham Beef Exports regarding beef cuts, as well as Selecting Replacement Heifers sessions were both standouts for Jess, and something she sees will be able to apply in her everyday life.
When asked about what she will take from her four days at Roundup, Jess said, “I want to go home and break in my own cattle now with Dad. And I’ll also take the friendships and the people I’ve met.”
Jess also encourages others in her home country that may be interested in attending Roundups of the future to make their way over, as she hopes she will also be able to attend again in years to come.
“I would encourage people to come across to Australia to experience the Roundup.”
– Cheyne Twist- Senior Marketing and Communications Officer
– Images: Showcase by Branded Ag
