THE SA Junior Heifer Expo, which attracted 180 competitors from across Australia to Adelaide last week in its 30th year, has cemented its position as one of the state's premier beef industry events.
The four-day expo serves to educate and train the next generation of cattle handlers.
Nick van den Berg, 22, Cherry Gardens, who won senior champion herdsman, will receive a $6000 scholarship from Landmark, CGU and the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA towards a North American study tour.
He grew up on a hobby farm at Cherry Gardens, and his background is very different to many other expo participants. Nick first developed his love of livestock at Westminster School.
"I was involved in showing stock at Westminster, mainly with goats," he said. "I first came along to the heifer expo when the Burpee family invited me to bring one of the Westminster steers that were spare."
Nick has attended every expo since 2006, with each attendance increasing his passion and knowledge of the beef industry.
For the past four years he has shown cattle from Arabar Charolais, Balaklava, at the expo, but this year took a Red Angus heifer - Clanfingon Watsonia J12 - from Judy McKinnon, Mount Torrens.
Nick is excited about his trip to North America, having visited the United States earlier this year as part of the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging team.
"I was very lucky that I was able to go the US as part of the meat processing tour at the start of the year, and now I get to look at more of the producer level and see some of the rangeland management and things like that," he said.
Nick's passion for agriculture motivated him to undertake a Bachelor of Ag Science, which he is finishing this year.
He has also leased land in the Adelaide Hills and at Keith, running Prime SAMM and Merino sheep, Angora goats and small lots of cattle for finishing.
"Eventually I'd like to have my own farm - that's the long-term goal. I just don't know what the steps in between will be."
* Full report in Stock Journal, July 24, 2014 issue.