Proston State School student to represent QLD in national cattle comp

From humble beginnings at a small country school to national finalist - meet Queensland’s champion cattle parader heading to Australia’s premier agricultural showdown.

The best young beef cattle paraders in Australia have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia and will compete in the national finals in September.Representing Queensland will be South Burnett Year 12 student Kaitlyn Barber.

The best young beef cattle paraders in Australia have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia and will compete in the national finals in September.

Representing Queensland will be South Burnett Year 12 student Kaitlyn Barber.

Kaitlyn won the Champion Beef Parader title in Queensland at the Ekka (Royal Queensland Show) last year and credits her schooling with nurturing her passion for cattle and showing.

“I started showing cattle with a small school I went to, Proston State School,” she said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“They have a really good agricultural program which includes lots of show time.

The best young beef cattle paraders in Australia have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia and will compete in the national finals in September. Representing Queensland will be South Burnett Year 12 student Kaitlyn Barber.

“I started with them when I was 13 and have never looked back.

“I have been to many shows, including three Ekkas, and I will be doing the one coming up this year.

“I have a very strong passion for cattle and I wanted to get into showing cattle.

“I got this opportunity when I started high school back when I was 13.

“Everything I know was because of the two teachers I learnt from. My knowledge doesn’t stop there, I am still continuing to learn and grow my skills.”

The 2025 National Championships is being hosted by the SA Country Shows at the Royal Adelaide Show from September 1-6, 2025.

The best young beef cattle paraders in Australia have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia and will compete in the national finals in September. Representing Queensland will be South Burnett Year 12 student Kaitlyn Barber.

The prestigious competition includes paraders of beef and dairy cattle, young judges of beef and dairy cattle, grain, Merino sheep and fleece, meat breeds sheep, and poultry, the Australian Young Farmers Challenge, and National Rural Ambassador Award.

The national championships brings together the best of the best in rural talent, community spirit, and industry excellence.

Young judges and paraders aged from 15 to 25 in each state will gather to compete in the annual competition.

Qualification is via success in competitive regional and state competitions.

The prestigious competition highlights the incredible reach and rewards of agricultural shows, from connecting communities to driving growth and celebrating success.

Jacqueline (Jac) Wilson-Smith, Chair of Agricultural Shows Australia – the peak body representing 572 agricultural shows that attract six million visitors annually and contribute nearly $1 billion to the national economy – described the competition as a celebration of emerging talent in livestock judging across the country.

“This is an incredibly prestigious event, and earning a spot in the nationals is highly sought after,” she said.

“These young competitors represent the future of agricultural show competitions, which play a vital role in advancing Australia’s food and fibre industries. The nationals offer an exciting chance for participants to grow both personally and professionally while testing their skills against the very best.”

The Beef Cattle Parading final is sponsored by Vytelle, a global precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimise their herds.

The Beef Cattle Parading final will be held at 9am on Thursday, September 4.