We caught up with former Angus Youth member Tim Vincent to see what he is up to now, and how Angus Youth affected his development in the industry.
Make sure you check out the gallery of where are they now images featuring the former Angus Youth members featured in the bulletin series so far!
What is your earliest memory participating in Angus Youth activities?
My first memory of the program (as it was in those days) was the Angus Heifer show in Glen Innes. Previous to this I was a very early member of the New England Angus Breeders, and in the mid-eighties we had heifer shows as part of the New England Angus Breeders Bull Sale.
The other youth event that I competed in was the National Judging Competition at Wodonga, where I competed in both 1991 and 1992, winning it in 1992 and being awarded the University of Illinois scholarship. Angus Youth then wasn’t like it is today with an identity of its own. Back then it was usually just an Angus heifer show tacked onto a bull sale.
The first Roundup at Glen Innes I also remember and the years following from that I went to Toowoomba, Armidale and when I came back from my scholarship I judged in Armidale and assisted at two or three in Wodonga.
What activity/event stands out to you the most and in terms of opportunities that you received for being part of Angus Youth, how did your involvement positively influence your development in the beef cattle industry?
Some of my fondest memories I’ve had to do with Angus Youth is being involved in the initial very early days of the program. From there being asked to go back later in life and be lucky enough to judge at two or three Roundups as an overjudge or being an assistant in running the event and helping with the judging and parading competitions. Coming back to assist is definitely a rewarding thing, and sort of completes the full circle.
And to finally now, my own children in competing at some of the more recent Roundups.
What were the key learnings you developed through these experiences?
It’s great for people to come through the program and assist, but it is important to let the younger generations come up through the program and on to the committees, to ensure everyone has their opportunity to run something like Roundup.
There are always new technologies and new ideas which is great, so it’s important that the younger people get their chance to be part of the committees.
How are you involved in the beef cattle industry now/ where are you now?
My family and I have built our operation, Booragul Angus, to where we are today from when I started it at 13 years old.
We began a bull sale 22 years ago on property, focusing on selling 60 to 80 bulls a year. The farming operation also produces winter cereal crops mainly for grain production, and a separate small feedlot is also run to maximise the price and use of our cull cattle and grain.
Why would you encourage others to become involved in the Angus Youth Program through the scholarships and bursaries program opportunities?
It’s the people you can meet! You make great friendships and know people for life. You are mixing with like minded people of generally similar background from all over Australia.
There’s opportunity through the people you meet and the program that is run to gain the knowledge to determine where you might want to be in the future. You surround yourself with people that might have an influence on you later on in life.
Angus Youth is a stepping stone for massive learnings. If you look at people from my age right down who have been part of Angus Youth, there are those now working for MLA or are assessors for MSA right through to CEO’s of companies, so I think there is a great future for those in the program.
There’s a whole supply chain, and when it comes to Angus Youth you only have to look at the people that have come through it to see where they have ended up today and that Angus Youth has been highly encouraging for them to find their future and find their feet.
