As residents gear up for the Inverell Show on March 3-4, Gary Jones is excited to see Red Poll cattle as this year’s feature.
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A dual purpose breed, the Red Polls originally came from England. The old breed is known for its quiet and docile nature, and Gary said they were very easy to handle and milk.
“They handle this country here really well,” he said. He said that living between Bundarra and Tingha, “some of our country’s a bit ordinary,” but that the versatile Red Polls coped well.
“They’re a really good cattle for this area. They handle the heat, they handle the cold,” he said.
“They’ll go and forage when it gets dry. Some breeds will just go and wait at the gate for feed. Not these.”
Gary said the Red Polls were also very good mothers, and breeders rarely ever have to pull their calves.
A butcher by trade, Gary felt that the Red Polls’ capacity as a beef breed was often overlooked, and he was looking forward to seeing show visitors learn more about it.
Around 35-40 Red Polls are expected for the showcase, coming from Wauchope High School, Bellingen High School, Armidale’s Presbyterian Ladies’ College and breeders across the New England. The judge attending has a long experience with Red Polls, having judged in the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane shows.
Many long time breeders have been invited along, and will enjoy a barbecue on the Friday night. All breeders and people interested in the Red Polls are also invited to a morning tea on Saturday morning to learn more.
“Anybody that’s interested, come along, have a look,” Gary said.
“There’s going to be a lot of top cattle, and a lot of the cattle that will be there are going to Sydney this year.”
Gary’s 15-year-old son Cameron is a Red Poll superstar, winning the male and female supreme champion Red Poll two years in a row in what may have been an EKKA first. His 2015 winning bull, Jalabee Jessie James will be taking part in the Inverell event, along with another cow, calf and three heifers.
Cameron’s sister Krystal Cagney is also a Red Poll enthusiast, and will be front and centre at the show as last year’s showgirl winner. She will enter her own senior champion cow and its calf this year.