Ekka 2023: Hannah Powe ticks off cattle judging in every state and territory
Picture and article by Ellouise Bailey – Queensland Country Life
Hannah Powe, Goondoola Livestock, has ticked off cattle judging in every state and territory, with the Ekka in Queensland being the final rung on the ladder.
She beamed with pride as she thanked the RNA for the opportunity to judge the Devon and South Devon breeds at the Royal Queensland Show on Saturday, August 12.
“I’m absolutely humbled and I feel really privileged to get the opportunity to be judging this year and tick off a big bucket list item for me in judging at the Ekka – and now all states of Australia,” she said.
It’s clear Ms Powe has come a long way in her confidence and ability to share her opinions in the ring, as she retells what it was like when she first started judging.
“Most juniors coming through can probably relate to the petrifying experience of speaking on a microphone and putting your opinions out there, having people judge you can be daunting.”
At first she preferred handling in the ring, but when she realised the key to judging was just having the confidence to share your opinions on stock assessment, something she was naturally passionate about, she found her voice.
“I really loved being able to get in there and analyse cattle and have really in-depth conversations with a lot of people about cattle so I really took to judging as I wanted to listen and learn as much as I could.”
Ms Powe grew up with stud Murray Grey cattle on her parent’s property, but she now breeds Angus and Red Angus cattle.
She said being able to assess and judge across a spectrum of breeds in a variety of states was down to always looking out for fundamental qualities, such as structural integrity.
One of Ms Powe’s major achievements as a judge was placing reserve in the state final for cattle judging at Sydney Royal Easter Show.
She has also been an Angus Youth scholarship recipient and received the Stewart Award in 2020. She now takes mentorship in her stride through her involvement with the Angus Youth program.
“I love working with kids, especially when a kid comes and talks to me about junior judging or what they could tweak, or we sit down together after judging a class,” she said.
“I want to give them a non-judgement zone to speak about cattle and catch up, or even just working with them to develop the public speaking side of things.”
After previously working for The Land newspaper, Ms Powe now works as the NSW genomics territory manager for Neogen Australasia.
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