TWO Murdoch University students have made the cut from nearly 200 competitors at the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) competition to participate in an industry tour in Brisbane, Queensland, later this year.
Second year animal science students Claudia Nielsen and Renae Piggott were selected in the top 10 students after an outstanding performance at the annual competition hosted by Charles Sturt University and Teys Cargil Australia in New South Wales recently.
The five-day event attracted participants from 12 universities around Australia and four international teams from Japan, Pakistan, the United States and Indonesia.
The Murdoch team performed very well with Ms Nielsen, Ms Piggott, Jamie Nykiel and Holly Carter being awarded the champion team in lamb carcase judging.
Ms Piggott was third overall in pork judging, Ms Nielsen fourth overall in lamb judging and Ms Carter was fifth place for beef judging.
Following on from her performance, Ms Piggott was chosen as the coach's pick to attend the Brisbane training week for her dedication and passion for the Australian red meat industry.
"ICMJ has to be one of the best experiences, it never failed to inspire me about my future in the red meat industry," Ms Piggott said.
"Being able to network with industry professionals and like-minded students, as well as learning about relevant up to date information, has opened up my mind to the challenges and all the future possibilities it holds."
Ms Piggott also earned a scholarship from Australian Pork Limited to complete a placement within the pork industry.
A team coach, Lauren Smith, was also awarded a scholarship from the Cattle Council of Australia to complete an industry placement.
Murdoch team coach Keely McGregor said she was proud of how well the students performed this year.
"The ICMJ aims to showcase the diverse career options available within the industry to students and graduates," Ms McGregor said.
"Our students displayed a strong desire to learn about the red meat industry and the networking opportunities gained from this week will carry on throughout their bright futures.
"None of these opportunities would have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors and the students are all extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring their new-found knowledge and passion back into the WA industry."
The Murdoch University team was sponsored by Harvey Beef, Linley Valley Pork, the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia and the Murdoch University Veterinary Trust.
Following the industry training week in Brisbane, five students from the top 10 finalists will be selected on the Australian National meat judging team for a tour of the US meat industry in the new year.
