Victoria’s finest young agriculturists shone on the national stage, taking out the 2025 Keast Shield for the Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA) finals at the Royal Adelaide Show last month for only the second time.
Accepting the award on behalf of the team, VAS (Victorian Agricultural Shows) executive officer, Rod Bowles, said it was a privilege and the “real stars are our contestants”.
Victoria was impressive with five national champions and one runner up across 10 competitions.
“I knew the young people that won our state finals during the year were very good, but you never know what the standard of the other states competitors will be like,” said Mr Bowles.
“Every finalist we had in the competitions did a fantastic job; but unfortunately, our beef cattle parader got balloted an animal that didn’t want to be in the ring and misbehaved quite badly which made it difficult for her to shine on the day.”
Victoria won the prestigious award in 2021 and was pleased to be crowned again as the Keast Shield winner this year.
Donated by Patrick and Beverley Keast from NSW, the Patrick Keast Shield recognises the overall best state or a territory in the National Finals.
Points for the shield are accumulated by placing in any of the Young Judges and Paraders competitions along with the Rural Ambassador category.
Each final is allocated four points for first place, three points for second place, two points for third place and one point for every other participant in the national competitions.
The Rural Ambassador is allocated four points for the winner and two points for the runner up along with one point for every other participant in the National Final.
The highest state tallied points are then declared the Keast Shield Winner.
National champion results: Tiffany Maestrale from Pakenham - Merino Sheep Judging; Caitlin Grieve - Grain Judging – Clarks Hill; Sienna Ross from Katamatite - Dairy Cattle Parading; Luke Gardiner from Nar Nar Goon - Dairy Cattle Judging; and Josh Hancock from Merbein - Poultry Judging.
Runner up: Matilda Sullivan from Barnawartha in the Beef Cattle Judging.
National finalists: Nerissa James from Bittern - Meat Sheep Judging; Emily Hann from Noorat - Beef Cattle Parading; Caitlin Grieve – Clarks Hill - Rural Ambassador; Tiffany Maestrale – Pakenham - Merino Fleece Judging.
ASA National Young Judges & Paraders Competition entrants must be at least 15 years of age and less than 25 years of age on the 1 May in the year of competition.
Qualification for the ASA National Finals Program is via success in regional and state competitions.
The ASA Young Judges and Paraders Competitions is considered an extremely prestigious event.
The keenly contested nationals provides an opportunity to grow personally and professionally by practising skills and challenging yourself against the cream of the crop.
Participants will demonstrate skills in communication, public speaking and breed and industry specific knowledge which will help develop career paths.
The national competition is held in a different location each year so as to promote judging, parading and the industry as a whole.
Next year’s host will be Western Australia.
For Catlin Grieve our state Rural Ambassador finalist, it was disappointing to miss a place in the national finals.
“But the calibre of entrants was high with only half points at the end separating us,” said Catlin.
It was only by chance that she was asked to enter as a finalist for Victoria in the grain judging competition.
“Grains judging is relatively new in Victoria, but I threw my hat into the ring,” she said.
It was an opportunity to brush up on her knowledge of grains gained through her agricultural college studies, but Caitlin confessed it was not her favourite subject preferring to focus on sheep.
Following a quick refresher, Caitlin was given the option to choose from barley, canola, and wheat.
She chose the latter and said the experience “was very rewarding.”
The Victorian was up against some strong contenders from Queensland, NSW, South Australia, and Western Australia.
When she heard the over judge’s comments, Caitlin was pleased that they aligned with her judging criteria.
Caitlin described grain judging much more “clear cut” unlike sheep where it can be much more subjective.
Reflecting on her Rural Ambassador journey, Caitlin said, “It was a lot easier to lose when everyone is of the same calibre.”
“It is also much more than a competition; I have connections for years to come and a huge circle of friends.”
Caitlin is keen to encourage other young people to enter Rural Ambassador competitions at their local ag shows as a way to meet other young people across the country and share their aspirations.
She has been involved over the past year mentoring the entrants for the Victorian 2024/25 finals judged last month.
What advice would she give potential ambassadors following her judging in Adelaide?
“Really strong convictions are important… and being plugged into what are the issues,” Caitlyn said.
In one interview at the nationals Caitlin was asked to imagine if she were the federal agricultural minister what would be her three top priorities.
As she points out it would not be the same for everyone with so many different issues to explore.
What’s next for Caitlin?
After three years of managing a bridal shop, Caitlin has returned to full time study and hopes to complete her Bachelor of Arts History by 2027.
She continues to contribute to the local ag show sector as secretary on the Midlands Group and as a volunteer with the Ballarat Show.
The state’s future dairy industry is in good hands with two young Victorians winning their respective competitions.
For Katamatite's Sienna Ross showing and parading dairy cattle since she was seven years old, winning not only at a state level but at national level a decade later was “a very big surprise”.
“It is the biggest achievement I have ever accomplished in the dairy industry,” Sienna said.
Competitors are given balloted cattle so have no idea of what cow they will get.
Sienna said her Ayrshire heifer was not behaving her best, so it was a thrill to win the national Dairy Cattle Parading champion title.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity.
“Words can’t explain my excitement,” she said.
For the year 12 student and school captain at Yarrawonga's Sacred Heart College, it has been an exhausting time but a really rewarding one juggling media interviews and studies.
Her dream is to pursue a career as an embryo technician.
Sienna has just received an early offer to do agricultural studies at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
For other young people what advice does she have for those wanting to get involved in dairy cattle parading?
“Give everything a go and ask lots of questions.
“Anyone will be happy to answer them if you just ask.
“It’s definitely the best thing you can do – it takes you all over the world and allows you to meet all sorts of people,” said Sienna.
For Nar Nar Goon’s Luke Gardiner becoming the national dairy cattle judging champion it is a natural extension of his aspiration to judge at major shows throughout Australia and abroad.
The 20-year-old has his sights set on a career in agriculture and is studying at University of Melbourne to achieve his goal.
"I have grown up with dairy cattle not beef," said Luke, adding his father John Gardiner was well known as a judge and breeder in the dairy industry.
He described the national finals in the dairy judging as "pretty high standard".
The competition was conducted over three classes with Ayrshire, Holstein and senior Illawarra cattle used in each.
"Obviously winning gets your name out there and the opportunity for getting asked to judge," said Luke.
"If you get asked to judge, there is a lot of honour with that.
Having a good eye for cattle is essential.
"There is an art to it," Luke said.
He intends to stay in the dairy industry after finishing his studies but is open to other opportunities.
Luke said he is interested in breeding consultancy and helping those in the industry to improve the genetics of their herds.
Meanwhile Luke in his first year at university will concentrate on his studies but is keen to judge at competitions both here and abroad.