A yarn with Rebecca Gordon, steer competitor

Rebecca Gordon is only fifteen, but she already breeds cattle, drives a truck and is part way through her training with the Royal Fire Service.

The country lass is from the town of Nevertire, 100 kilometres west of Dubbo, and boards at the Scots school, Bathurst, with whom she travels to various cattle shows each year. Yesterday she claimed third place in the Middleweight Open Steer competition, in the 420-439 kg live weight category. Rebecca and her schoolmates are responsible for the prize animals several months before they are entered in the show.

“[At school] we have a paddock and we have a big feeder in it and troughs. They run around and we catch them once a week, work with them, brush them, wash them and everything, break them in.”

Some get attached emotionally to their animals, which makes the next stage – slaughter and dressing – a difficult process.

“Some people find it upsetting, but I like to prepare myself for it, not get too attached. We all know it’s coming, and they’re judged on their carcass - you’re looking after them so they hang up well, that’s part of the competition. I’ve grown up with it at home. We kill all our own meat.”

To add to her other talents, Rebecca has done most things at the slaughtering end as well.

“Dad slaughters it, but, I gut it and skin it for him. Then we put it in the cool room, and I cut it up with a meat saw the next day.”

The Show is an important event because people like Rebecca get a chance to be proud of all the work they’ve done to get this far – and for the city folk to understand where their high quality meat has come from.

“Well it is important because your steak just doesn’t appear on the shelves. There’s a lot of behind the scenes work, and these are the best of the best. This is a showcase of your beef industry. A lot of work goes into it.”

Rebecca plans to reward herself for getting it all done by going on some rides – if she gets time. In just a couple of days she will help load the cattle back on the truck, and head to Bathurst for the next competition. She doesn’t mind the work though – agriculture is where she is going with her life, she says.

 “Yes well that’s what the school cattle team’s all about. Getting us into the industry, so one day we will get paid.”