Students return for Schools Challenge

After being cancelled last year at the last minute due to COVID-19 restrictions, the students were back with plenty of enthusiasm this year.

All up seven teams, two from the WACOA Denmark and two from WACOA Narrogin, alongside one each from WACOA Harvey, WACOA Cunderdin and the Mount Barker Community College competed for the honour of being the top school.

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The School's Challenge, which was this year supported by Harvest Road/Harvey Beef, the Coles Group and Bendigo Bank, aims to help students develop their beef industry knowledge and skills.

Throughout the day the students heard from various speakers who covered topics relating to the beef industry.

The overall winner of this years Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Schools Challenge was a team of year 12s from the WA College of Agriculture, Denmark. The team of Chanel Lowe (back left), Anna Rowe, Lara Burrow, Dixie Wyatt, Yasmine Pages (third front), Ella Smith, Travis Freegard and Jackson Conti, were congratulated on their win by Harvest Road team members Taya Clarke (left), Catherine Handreck, Jono Green, Lara Simpkins and Damian Barsby.

Zoetis representative Ben Fletcher spoke about the importance of vaccines and animal health; Harvest Road animal welfare program manager Taya Clarke discussed the role of animal welfare in the sustainability of the beef industry; Steve Moir looked at stock handling and Willyung Farms' Sandy Lyon, covered feeding and nutrition in the feedlot.

After hearing from the speakers the teams were broken up into groups and the students undertook a series of different quizzes to come up with the winners on the day.

When the quizzes were marked and the points tallied, it was a team of year 12 students from WACOA Denmark that had accumulated the most points across the five different quizzes and the practical stock handling test and announced the winner.

The team of Chanel Lowe, Anna Rowe, Lara Burrow, Dixie Wyatt, Yasmine Pages, Ella Smith, Travis Freegard and Jackson Conti, finished on 33 points to be one point ahead of the second placed team that accumulated 32 points.

Placing second was another team from the WACOA Denmark of Bree Skinner, Indianna Wilkinson, Aiden Goodall, Samantha Wimpering, Jade Erasmus, Ayla McMaster, Williams Reid and Jesse Oldfield.

Taking out overall second place in the challenge was a team of students from the WA College of Agriculture, Denmark. The winning team of Bree Skinner (third left), Indianna Wilkinson, Aiden Goodall, Samantha Wimpering, Jade Erasmus, Ayla McMaster, William Reid and Jesse Oldfield, were congratulated by Harvest Road team members Taya Clarke (left), Catherine Handreck, Jono Green, Lara Simpkins and Damian Barsby.

Third place went to a team from the WACOA Harvey of Dylan Emmott, Amelia Ietto, Chayce Whitton, Tyson Wallinger, Tessa Clifton, Angeline Alley, Georgia Buchanan, Koltyn Te Haara and Maddison Stuchbury, that finished on 28 points.

Along with the overall awards, the top three students in the five different quizzes and the practical stock handling test were also recognised.

Also during the day the students were able to view the cattle in the feedlot that had been entered into the challenge.

They also heard from The Regional Men's Health Initiative community educator Tom Hayes, who spoke during the day about the importance of looking after your physical, mental and social wellbeing and witnessed a working dog demonstration from South Australian dog trainer and livestock educator Neil McDonald, who featured on last year's ABC series Muster Dogs.

Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate co-ordinator Narelle Lyon said the entire committee was pleased with the level of participation shown by all the students throughout the day.

The Harvest Roads Taya Clarke (left), Catherine Handreck, Jono Green, Lara Simpkins and Damian Barsby (far right) congratulated WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, students Dylan Emmott (third left), Amelia Ietto, Chayce Whitton, Tyson Wallinger, Tessa Clifton, Angeline Alley, Georgia Buchanan, Koltyn Te Haara and Maddison Stuchbury.

"We are very lucky as an industry to have the Agricultural Colleges producing the level of students that they are, who are going to enter into this industry," Ms Lyon said.

"The interaction from all the young men and women with the speakers and industry figures on the day was outstanding.

"Their eagerness to learn was fantastic and we would like to congratulate all of the schools on their efforts."

Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley (left), along with Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton and Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell congratulated the winners of the vaccine and animal health quiz, Siobhan De Pledge (placed third), Mount Barker Community College, Tyson Wallinger (second), WA College of Agriculture, Harvey and Lara Burrow (first place), WA College of Agriculture, Denmark.

Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley (left), Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell, Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton, congratulated WA College of Agriculture students Sarah Beckman (second left), Narrogin, Jesse Oldfield, Denmark and Georgia Buchanan, Harvey, who finished third, second and first respectively in the animal welfare quiz.

Taking out the top three places in the feeding and nutrition quiz were WA College of Agriculture students Tessa Clifton (second left), Harvey, who placed third, Dixie Wyatt, Denmark, second and Ayla McMaster, Denmark, first. They were congratulated on their results by Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton (left), Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley and Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell.

Placegetters in the stock handling challenge were third Natalie Bradford (second left), WA College of Agriculture, Denmark, second Koltyn Te Haara, WA College of Agriculture, Harvey and first, Anna Rowe, WA College of Agriculture, Denmark. They were congratulated by Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton (left), Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley and Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell.

Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley (left) along with Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton and Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell congratulated the placegetters in the general quiz which were WA College of Agriculture students, third Kiara Della Bosca (second left), Cunderdin, second Jamie Meehan, Narrogin and Bree Skinner, Denmark.

Placegetters in the all topics quiz were third Yasmine Pages (second left), WA College of Agriculture, Denmark, second Libby Morris, Mount Barker Community College and first Samantha Wimpenny, WA College of Agriculture, Denmark. They were congratulated on their placings by Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton (left), Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell and Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley.

WA College of Agriculture, Cunderdin team members Elsie Cardew (left), Kira Della Bosca, Matilda Williams, Brianna Barnes, Rhys Murray, Jayden OMeagher, Navaeh Brown, Montana Steele, with The Regional Mens Health Initiative community educator Tom Hayes, who spoke during the day about the importance of looking after your physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Steve Moir (left), who spoke on the day about stock handling and Gate 2 Plate Challenge treasurer David Bickford with WA College of Agriculture, Narrogin, students Cobus De Bruin, Jamie Meehan, Bailey Greenwood, Phillip Wiehl, Kayla George, Natalie Bradford and Brodie Hills.

South Australian dog trainer and livestock educator Neil McDonald (second left), with his team of working dogs provided tips on training dogs and working stock. He discussed the finer points with Mount Barker Community College farm manager Jay Rowles (left) and students Alex Skinner, Cameron Walsh, Ebony Wallinger, Siobhan De Pledge, Paris Wallinger and Callum Bunker.

Coles WA livestock manager Campbell Nettleton (left), answered questions on his role in the beef industry from WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, students Dylan Emmott, Chayce Whitton and Tyson Wallinger.

WA College of Agriculture, Denmark students Jackson Conti (left), William Reid, Indianna Wilkinson, Anna Rowe, Dixie Wyatt and Chanel Lowe were keen to hear more from Harvest Road animal welfare program manager Taya Clarke. During the day Ms Clarke discussed the role of animal welfare in the sustainability of the beef industry.

WA College of Agriculture, Narrogin students Keira Painter (left), Meka Epworth and Mia Osterhage discuss the day with Harvest Road partnership manager Catherine Handreck.