State young dairy handler picks up national spot to represent SA

Ms Newman lives on a dairy and beef cattle farm in Meadows where they run Holsteins but she has taken on a few Ayrshires personally.

"I am looking forward to a new challenge, having done the handlers at Adelaide show for quite a while now," she said.

"My tip to winning would be staying calm even when things aren't working - it is something I've worked on a lot recently.

"In 2014 I won the junior class and the prize was my own Ayrshire heifer - the heifer I lead in the competition this year was the granddaughter of that cow - so it's a pretty full circle moment.

"I've always loved handling since a young age and I think I love it because my dad's always been really passionate about it."

She said she also entered in the beef young handlers competition and won the senior class so was nominated for beef to go to the national competition.

"So I'll be representing for both dairy and beef next year in Melbourne."

Judge Caitlin Hentschke, Glencoe, said there were two girls at the top of the senior class.

"It was very hard to split Lucy and Bridget so they ended up champion and reserve," she said.

"Both of them just are very professional in the way that they go about their handling.

"They just know the little tips and tricks when it comes to presenting animals to the best of their ability.

"Both girls did a tremendous job showing off their heifer at all times during the class."

She said the champion came down to really "nitpicky things to split them".

"In the end Lucy with her precision and her handling and setting her heifer up so that it was on full display for me all the time was just that little bit faster," she said.

"The handlers classes at Adelaide show have always been quite a big event, even from back when I was doing them.

"It's great to see so many young people involved in industry."