Australia’s best young dairy parader Abbie Hanks hasn’t got a secret formula for success, but she does have a lifetime of experience.
Abbie Hanks, 20, from Cobden, began showing dairy cattle with her family as a child and her passion continues as a family venture.
“Mum (Fiona) brought me up in the industry and taught me so much and continues to help me to develop my skills,” Abbie said.
But she’s not alone.
“I’ve had so many people help me along the way, lots of mentors in the western district through youth camps and from going to shows and having the opportunity to work for people with their heifers.
“I take it all in, take feedback, learn from watching others in the ring.”
Abbie’s lifetime of experience led to her winning the Young Parader national award at this year’s Royal Queensland Show (Ekka).
“I’ve been practicing and learning at home,” Abbie said.
“I’ve always been passionate about showmanship. Growing up and having my own heifers and leading them meant a lot to me. It’s so important to do it well and present them to the best of your ability.”
Her experience shone out in the final. Abbie is a four five-time winner of the Sheri Martin Showmanship award at International Dairy Week (IDW), was state young parader a few years ago and came third in the national final at Royal Sydney Show.
This was her first national success.
“It is a different type of showmanship competition. I was the only finalist who had done it previously. I think that experience really helped me and I’ve still been learning in the last few years. The competition was hard and it was very close between the top few.”
At the national final, competitors are given a heifer through a ballot system and have an hour to work with them and get them ready before competing.
“I basically let it settle, eat its food and make sure it’s content,” Abbie said.
Abbie then took the heifer on a practice run in the ring.
“That gives them exposure and practice and I can learn a bit about her and how she reacts and what she likes. You have to make sure it’s clean and well-presented and that I’m well presented.”
Contestants switch heifers during the competition.
“It’s part of the rules,” Abbie said.
“It’s a bit of luck which heifer you pick – some are better than others so swapping makes it fair on everyone.
“We are judged on our showmanship and how we work with the heifers. There’s a lot to showmanship. It’s very technical. You have to make sure the heifer is looking the best it can, try and hide any faults, lead it at a nice pace and be soft on the halter.
“They like us to position our hands and our bodies in a certain way to make sure the heifer is well positioned and the judge can see her.”
Fiona grew up on a dairy farm at Cooriemungle. Abbie got her taste of the industry on a small hobby farm just outside Cobden, now downsized to 20 acres. While they don’t milk cows, they want to maintain a connection with the dairy industry.
Fiona was equally passionate about parading.
“I wasn’t as young as Abbie, but from my young teenage years I was involved in the showing industry and wanted to be a really good parader,” she said.
Fiona found success at IDW but admits the competition was nowhere as big as it is today.
Abbie’s ongoing success in the Sheri Martin Showmanship award is particularly important to the family.
“Sheri was one of my strong mentors when I was growing up,” Fiona said.
“She ran youth camps and gave me opportunities, experiences and contacts. She put years and years into developing youth in the dairy industry. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer at a young age so it means a lot to our family.”
Together Fiona and Abbie run a show program on the Jancourt property with several heifers they’ve either breed or purchased.
“It keeps our passion to stay within the industry even though we don’t milk cows anymore,” Fiona said.
They aim for perfection.
“We try to do all the one-percenters to make our heifers look the best they can when they hit the ring…having the diet right and spending extra time with washing and preparation means when you get to the show you’ve given it your best shot.
“You have to strive to be your best because the industry is so competitive. We pride ourselves on doing that well.”
Abbie also breeds and sells heifers through their Wellcoora stud, which features both Holsteins and Jerseys.
With expenses but no milk cheque, this occasionally means Abbie has made the decision to sell special heifers, including her Red Holstein, Elmar Mirand Farlex, which was crowned junior champion at IDW in 2023.
“It’s a good life lesson that you can’t keep everything, but we make those decisions together,” Fiona said.
Abbie is studying occupational therapy but wants to continue her connection to the dairy industry.
“I really like having both – it’s a really good mix,” she said.
“I’ve always been involved with the show industry and I’ve always been very passionate about it. It adds an extra dimension to the industry. It’s a really good way to get involved and for farmers to network.”