IT’S not long until it’s Tyrendarra Agricultural Show time again but this year there’s a new feature event which will mean the show will go to the people, rather than the other way around.

The On Farm Cattle Challenge has been introduced as a way of boosting the number of cattle entries in the 105th running of the Show, which will be held at the Tyrendarra Recreation Reserve on Saturday, February 11.

It is open to all breeders, feeders and fatteners of commercial and stud cattle based within an 80km radius of the showgrounds (roughly to the SA border, Casterton, Caramut, Dunkeld and east of Warrnambool).

But instead of taking their cattle to the Show, entries will be judged on their properties in the week leading up to the big day.

“The idea is we take the judge to the farm,” said chief cattle steward Geordie Elliott.

“It’s about attracting people in the region back to livestock showing.

“Everyone’s busy carting cattle around and people don’t have the groomsmen and expertise they once had.”

The event will only be open to female cattle this year, for good reason.

“Being the time of the year it is, most people have females in,” Mr Elliott said.

“We’re not long before calving and right at the start of weanling sales.

“It’s a way to show off heifers for future breeding and mature age cows.”

Such events were also popular for specific cattle breeds – Mr Elliott himself has judged state competitions which involve a lot more travel.

There would be both individual and group classes, including a class for those sired by artificial insemination.

“The reason we have that class in is firstly for people to promote animals they’re spending extra money on buying those superior genetics and secondly it’s a chance for people to show off their stock,” Mr Cook said.

“The group classes (pens of five) are more of a show of the consistency of quality the breeder is trying to achieve.”

While these cattle won’t make it to the Show itself, they’ll be there in photo form.

“We’ll run a slideshow presentation on the afternoon of the show,” Mr Elliott said.

Show president Anne Burley said the On Farm Challenge was an exciting initiative.

“It allows both commercial and stud breeders to enter and (cattle) don’t need to be broken in and led around so it’s a lot less time consuming,” she said.

“They’ve just got to pick their team and get them into yards on the day when the judges come around.”

Ms Burley said there had been a drop off in cattle showing at shows statewide for some years, with that to do with the way stock were now selected for the beef industry.

“It’s turned more towards the commercial area and consequently the need to have cattle shown in shows to sell your wares has decreased,” she said.

The Show itself would have plenty of everything that has made it so popular over the years – with sheep, horse and cattle events to the fore.

“We’ve got an amazing line-up of entertainment and favourites like the animal nursery, face painting Circus Element performers and Julie Honey and her performing circus dogs and the show ‘n’ shine,” Ms Burley said.

As well as, of course, lots of events to enter – for the first time entries would be able to be made online, as well as the traditional paper method.

“It’s been requested by quite a few younger people,” Ms Burley said.

“We also won’t be printing hard copies of the schedule because of the cost but they’ll be available online as well and you’ll also be able to buy tickets online.”

There would also be EFTPOS at the gate for those who pay on arrival.

● For more information about the On Farm Cattle Challenge or to enter (entries close on January 30) contact Geordie Elliott on 0438 874 587 or gclivestock@outlook.com.au.

For more information, schedules and to enter or buy admission tickets to the Show visit www.tyrendarraagriculturalshow.com.au or its Facebook page.