Three days of fun and education at Biggenden Cattle Camp 2022

Youngsters from across the Burnett arrived in Biggenden for the first annual cattle camp, which offered days of fun and education in stud and show cattle. Check out all the photos.

Camp attendees were given hands on lessons including drawing cuts of meat onto a cow.

Wet weather couldn’t dampen the excitement at the first annual Biggenden Youth Cattle Camp this week.

More than 60 children and young adults arrived at the Biggenden Showgrounds on Tuesday with cattle in tow to learn about caring for, raising and presenting stud and show cattle.

An initiative of the Biggenden Show Society, the cattle camp offered three days of education and fun for campers aged between six and 21 years old.

Organiser Flynn Suendermann said it had been a six-month journey to get the camp off the ground but said it was well worth the work.

“The amount of support I have had from parents is huge, and all the kids are lovely,” he said.

“The biggest thing is the kids have fun and have a good week, that’s what matters to me.”

With several years of cattle showing experience under her belt, Miss Suendermann realised it was time the Burnett had its own cattle camp.

“There aren’t really any here in the region, the closest one is 500km away,” she said.

The camp offered educational opportunities from clipping and grooming lessons to meat and cut lessons from a local butcher.

Sisters Jorja and Rhianna McIntyre said it was great to have such an exciting opportunity so much closer to their hometown of Gympie.

“It’s awesome for a community like Biggenden to have events like this in the town itself, it really opens a new range of opportunities for them,” said Jorja.

The girls have been to several youth cattle camps in their time, though many are hundreds of kilometres away.

“We get to make friends with people who live closer to us, so we can keep those connections running,” Rhianna said.

See some behind-the-scenes photos of the camp:

Beau Leddington-Hill watches over a group lesson.

Riley Orphant watches a presenter walk them through a lesson on ideal fat deposits on cattle.

Heath Backhouse watches over his cow Vale View from the fence during a lesson.

(Left to right) Ella Grabbe and Lola Grabbe.

Narlah Cooke was one of many younger camp attendees.

John Lamb watches over a lesson.

Leeroy Warren stands ready to take notes during a lesson.

Beau Magann was one of the more experienced students looking.

Jessica Warren presents one of her cattle for a lesson.

Many of the students climbed fences for the best viewing angle.

In between lessons the students spent time checking on their cattle.

Johanna Lamb watches over her cow during a lesson.

Students were taught what judges look for in a showing class.

Erica Lewis checks on her cow between lessons.

Sisters Jorja and Rhianna McIntyre.

It was clear camp attendees such as Regan Pike had a love for their cattle.

Mac Smith and his cow Vale Vale Fozzie.

Students used chalk to draw cuts of steak onto cows.

Camp attendees worked hard to keep their cattle comfortable and tidy.

Ella Grabbe prepares her cow for a showing lesson.

The cows were well taken care of by the camp attendees.

The campers were encouraged to be hands-on during the lessons.

Biggenden Cattle Camp 2022.

Campers were given lessons on how to walk and stand cattle during shows.

Anne Maquis brushes out some mud off her beast.

Kitria Palmer shows some affection to her beast.

Biggenden Cattle Camp 2022.

Campers marked out beef cuts on a patient beast.

Biggenden Cattle Camp 2022.

Sam Butchers brushes out his beast.

Biggenden Cattle Camp 2022.

Being on school holidays didn’t stop the campers from working hard for their animals.