General News
27 April, 2022
Terang twins secure big city wins
TERANG twins Leah and Anna Dickson took the big city by storm last week after securing success at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
TERANG twins Leah and Anna Dickson took the big city by storm last week after securing success at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Anna was named champion parader with Miami Matt Fernleaf 7305 in the New South Wales state final and Leah won champion heifer with Benleigh Macario Allison in the All Breeds Youth Show.
Anna said the opportunity to reunite with a heifer she had helped halter-broke was a welcome step from outside the norm.
“There were just over 50 competitors under the age of 25, pretty much from across Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland,” she said.
“I got to lead a heifer that I halter-broke myself, who one of my good friends lent to me for a few months before hand."
“She got sold and to my surprise ended up in Sydney, so I got to lead her in the class."
“It was really good getting to lead a heifer I knew, and most years I’m leading a heifer I’ve only known for a day.”
The experience was not new for Anna, who took her first handler’s class at the Noorat Show when she was just four years-old.
“It’s a big social event, getting to spend time with people who love cows and have the same attitude towards dairy farming as I do,”she said.
“We have to make sure the animal is fully controlled, walking in a smooth but slow manner, and they have to keep themselves contained. "
“We show off their stronger components, such as their body structure, and if there is a weak spot the handler has to know how to try and hide that.”
The success she has experienced over the years is something Anna credits to the roots she established through an iconic event at home.
“I think it all wraps around the Noorat Show,” she said.
“When we were younger, it was a big opportunity to go to the Noorat Show.”
For Leah, the All Breeds Youth Show was an opportunity to test her skills with a heifer against challenges associated with the recent flooding New South Wales has experienced.
“I was very shocked and surprised (to win), but very happy considering the environment they have been in with all the floods so they haven’t been able to be worked very often,” she said.
“It’s pretty rare to have a Swiss win an All Breeds so it was a bit of a surprise."
“There was a lot of improvement throughout the week, so I’m very happy with how she worked out.”
Leah said the event was also an opportunity for the twins to step out on their own after Anna made the decision to move to a different team.
“Anna had always been with us but moved to another team, so it was a bit weird being without her,”she said.
“It was a different experience with Anna being there but not being there in the same way."
“I didn’t know she was going out for handlers but watching her go out and win was great.”
