For the first time since 2019, Wingham Beef Week is going ahead this year with both live and carcase competitions.
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The week-long event is taking place at Wingham Showground from Monday, May 16 to Friday, May 20.
Beef Week has grown to be a big annual agricultural educational event on school calendars. And not just locally - this year more than 20 schools are set to take part, with some from the Northern Tablelands, others from the Hunter district, and even a Sydney school making the trip up.
"We're looking forward to it," said Merv Presland, president of the Wingham Beef Week committee.
Related: Wingham Beef Week in 1990 | photos
"The schools are definitely looking forward to getting back into the show circuit. Some of them have had a couple of local shows. And some went to Sydney. But yeah, they've just been starved for competition over the last couple of years.
"They're ready to go on all cylinders to get back into the show ring."
More than 300 students will be converging on Wingham, with many camping at the showground for the week, bringing with them the steers they have been getting ready for judging.
This year, the Australian British White Association have sourced 11 steers donated by members to be sent to schools to get ready for the competition. The steers were sent to the schools to look after, with 800 kilograms of feed for the steers donated by the Manildra Group.
"That class will be judged on Wednesday morning, I think from memory," Merv said.
"I'm looking forward to that. Those cattle came from Victoria, Queensland, and NSW. Some of those people are actually going to come to Wingham to have a look and see how things go. I'm looking forward to meeting them and putting on a bit of a show for them."
The week starts with local primary schools visiting the farm at Wingham High School.
"The (Wingham High) ag students take them through what they've been doing with the cattle and show them how they wash them and parade them and do all that sort of thing," explained Merv.
Monday afternoon includes an education afternoon with speakers including Hunter Local Land Services vet Lyndel Stone, and NH Foods (Wingham Abattoirs), among others.
From there, the showground is the centre of activity, with young judges, parading, herdsman and meat judging competitions, along with beef appraisal, throughout the week.
All of the animals in the carcase competition will be processed on Thursday, with results announced on Friday.
Presentations of awards will take place around 1pm Friday afternoon.
The public is invited to visit Wingham Showground during the week to watch the proceedings. Events will take place between 9am and 3pm.
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Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
