Denmark students win Schools Challenge

The overall winners 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 William Reid (back left), Bree Skinner, Lily Moody, Phoebe Mottram (front left), Samantha Wimpenny, Ayla McMaster, Jade Erasmus and Cara Jones were congratulated on their win by Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell, Harvey Road livestock manager Jonathon Green and Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley.

Fifty six students from five schools fought it out in the Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Schools Challenge last week at the Willyung Farms' feedlot at Albany and at the end of the day for a second year running it was the WA College of Agriculture (WACOA) - Denmark that went home with the winning trophy.

All up seven teams (eight students in each), two from the WACOA - Denmark and two from the WACOA - Harvey, alongside one from the WACOA - Cunderdin, Mount Barker Community College and the Esperance Farm Training Centre competed for the honour of being named the top school and further develop their beef industry knowledge and skills.

The Schools Challenge was again this year supported by Harvest Road/Harvey Beef, Bendigo Bank and Coles.

When welcoming the students to the challenge, Gate 2 Plate Challenge committee member and the day's master of ceremonies Rachel O'Dell, a former WACOA - Denmark student and current Nutrien Ag Solutions employee said the challenge aimed to facilitate and provide support as well as encourage students and youth in agriculture through the interaction with representatives from all facets of the supply chain of the beef industry.

"This representation extends from the producers right through to the marketers and all sections in between that students would not otherwise have an opportunity to meet," Ms O'Dell said.

"The challenge also aims to advance education by promoting the agricultural industry and its many opportunities to youth and students of all ages by showcasing careers and opportunities within the agricultural industry in regional areas of Australia."

The students from the two teams representing the WA College of Agriculture Harvey, which tied for overall second place in the schools challenge.

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

Zoetis representative Ben Fletcher spoke about the importance of vaccines, how they work, types of vaccines, how and when to administer them; Manypeaks beef producer Kieran Howie discussed Estimated Breeding Values, including what they are and how to use them; Robert Smith, Albany, spoke on animal selection including structure, feet, temperament; Steve Moir, Albany, covered the principles of 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 for the day.

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

The team of William Reid, Bree Skinner, Lily Moody, Phoebe Mottram, Samantha Wimpenny, Ayla McMaster, Jade Erasmus and Cara Jones, finished on 21 points to be four points ahead of the equal second placed teams that accumulated 17 points.

WA College of Agriculture Harvey students Amelia Addison (left) and Sean Walker placed first and second in the all topics quiz while third place went to Lily Moody, WA College of Agriculture Denmark.

Placing equal second were two teams from the WACOA - Harvey.

The first team from Harvey comprised Amelia Addison, Pypah Atkinson, Chelsea Bario, Sean Smith, Jasmine Stowe, Maggie Kilrain, Samarah Moss and Reid Becker, while the second team was Matilda Patten, Kendall Heniams, Tia Walton, Zoey Morris, Jade Reilly, Sean Walke, William McLarty and Taylor Carr, who joined them from Mt Barker to fill a spot in the team due to a Harvey student being unable to attend.

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

During the day the students also had the chance to view the cattle in the feedlot that had been entered into the challenge, as well as hear from the field day panel of speakers which all discussed the importance of pastures and nutrition.

In the cattle selection quiz WA College of Agriculture Denmark student Samantha Wimpenny (left), placed first. Second place was awarded to Jasmine Stowe, WA College of Agriculture Harvey and third went to Abigail Harding, WA College of Agriculture Denmark.

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

"We are very lucky to have the schools producing the level of students that they are, who are going to enter the beef industry in the future," Ms Lyon said.

"The interaction between the students and speakers on the day was outstanding and showed they are engaged in our beef industry.

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

Bendigo Bank Albany branch manager Gavin Boardley (left) and Harvest Road livestock manager Jonathon Green congratulated the winners of the feeding and nutrition quiz Elsie Cardew (placed first), WA College of Agriculture Cunderdin, Chelsea Bario (second), WA College of Agriculture Harvey and Jade Erasmus (third), WA College of Agriculture Denmark.

First place in the general knowledge quiz went to WA College of Agriculture Harvey student Matilda Patten (left) and second was awarded to Phoebe Kindred, WA College of Agriculture Cunderdin.

Taking out the awards in the livestock handling section of the schools challenge were first Adyn Reid (left), WA College of Agriculture Denmark, second Zain Mortley, Esperance Farm Training Centre and third William Reid, WA College of Agriculture Denmark.

In the vaccines quiz it was Ayla McMaster (left), WA College of Agriculture Denmark, who finished with the top marks. Second and third places in the quiz went to WA College of Agriculture Harvey students Sean Smith and William McLarty respectively.

Zoetis representative Ben Fletcher with WA College of Agriculture Denmark students Jade Erasmus (left), Heidi Walter, Samantha Wimpenny and Ayla McMaster. Mr Fletcher gave a presentation to the students competing in the schools challenge about vaccines which they were later quizzed on.

The WA College of Agriculture Denmark, was represented in the schools challenge by a team of year 11 and a team of year 12 students. The team of year 12 students were the overall winners of the schools challenge making it back to back wins for the college. Celebrating the colleges success were college beef technical officer Brad Seib (left) and the 16 students who competed.

Esperance Farm Training Centre students Trent Treloar (left), Claire McCreagh, Charlee Smith and Billie Little with Willyung Farms Sandy Lyon, who spoke to the students about feeding and nutrition as part of the challenge.

Waiting for the results of the challenge were year 12 WA College of Agriculture Cunderdin students Jake Faulkner (left), Bella Gomersall, Blake Hudson, Cooper McCuish and Elsie Cardew.

Manypeaks producer and Gate 2 Plate Challenge committee member Kieran Howie (left) and Robert Smith, Albany, spoke to the students about cattle selection. Discussing the topic with them were WA College of Agriculture Harvey students Chelsea Bario (second left), Zoey Morris, Amelia Addison and Kendall Heliams.

Looking over the challenge cattle in the feedlot during the day were Mount Barker Community College students Abigail Dickinson (left), Isabel Vandenbrogert, Stella Oxford, Hannah Hanley and Taylor Carr along with the colleges Agriculture technical officer Darren McDonald.

Steve Moir gave a presentation to the students on stock handling as part of the schools challenge. Later students from each team were marked on their stock handling skills.

Gate 2 Plate Challenge committee member and Manypeaks producer Kieran Howie provided a presentation to the students on the use of Estimated Breeding Values.

More than 50 students from five schools participated in the Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Schools Challenge. Taking home the top placings were the WA College of Agriculture Denmark and Harvey, which placed first and second. Pictured at the end of the day were teams from Denmark and Harvey as well as the Esperance Farm Training Centre team.

Gate 2 Plate committee members including treasurer David Bickford (left), co-ordinator Narelle Lyon and Rachel ODell, were key figures in the running of the schools challenge. With them is Narelles daughter Aimee. During the day Mr Bickford and Ms Lyon supervised and marked the students quizzes while Ms ODell was the master of ceremonies.

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Denmark students win Schools Challenge

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