Maclean High School took a 9-strong team of steers to this year’s Northern Schools Steer competition in Inverell on Thursday November 18. The prestigious competition attracts the best schools from Northern NSW with both private and government schools represented.

The Maclean High show team has grown from strength to strength.   In its inaugural year last year, the team won the Lightweight Grand Champion Steer at the same competition, going one better this year. Comprising of 35 students from Year 7 to 12 the MHS team is definitely punching above its weight in the show steer world.

The winning steer was a 600kg Charolais cross steer who was fully donated by Mitch Donovan at Ray Donovan Stock and Station Agents – Grafton. The steer Mitch bred himself on the lovely Nymboida country.

With the cream of steers hand selected from local producers from across the Clarence Valley the school went onto ribbon in a further four classes:

Lightweight (401kg to 420kg) – winner with a Speckle Cross Steer from local producer Ben Simpson of Brooms Head;

Medium (441kg to 460kg) – 3rd with a Pure Speckle also from Simpson;

Heavy (501kg to 550kg) (17 strong class of steers) – winner with a Limousine Cross Steer from Russell Bremner a producer in Pillar Valley;

A 3rd in the same class with a Santa Gertrudis cross Hereford bred by Leanne and Shaun Messer of Coastal Yamba Country;

The overall Grand Champion won his class in the Heavy (551kg to 600kg) with the Charolais cross steer.

Organising teacher Mr Chris Kirkland and the whole Maclean High Show team would also like to thank Deb Snaith of Mcintyre High School and Phil Jones of Tenterfield High School for running an amazing School Steers Show during trying COVID times. Really going above and beyond to reach educational outcomes for so many students from across Northern NSW.

Maclean High is already excited for next year obtaining a number of steers ready for shows next year.

The school would also like to announce that they will be taking stud cattle to next year’s shows. In the last few months, they have bought Braford Stud Heifers and have started their own small Braford Stud. They will compete with these animals next year at shows and start the breeding and growth project of their Braford Stud. The school has also partnered up with Jamie Shipman at Great Marlow Speckle Park Stud to take heifers from their stud on the early part of next year’s show circuit. Exciting times ahead for Maclean High School and its cattle show team.