It’s 5AM on show day and my alarm is going off. It’s cold outside and the sun is yet to rise. I chuck on my clothes and boots, grab my show bag, and head off to the Hawkesbury showgrounds.
This whole process started many months ago at the WSU farm at the Hawkesbury campus. There are months of prepping and planning before show day, with feeding, training, and grooming to have the steers look their very best on show day. We started on these boys when they were calves, still drinking mums’ milk. Halter training starts early, with week after week spent walking the steers, standing still while surrounded by loud noises and screaming children- all while looking their best.
This isn’t all smooth sailing. The training process can have setbacks, with the steers deciding they would rather run than walk or deciding the grass in the paddock next door would be easy to get to if they jump at the right angle.
At the end of the day, as a team we can look back and see how much hard work and time we’ve put into these steers and appreciate their progress.
n the final month leading up to the show, the boys were weaned off their mums and moved into the big show barn. They receive individualised breakfast and dinner in bed, along with a personal hay feeder and water trough.
The final countdown is on.
At this point the steers are walking well, but finer details need polishing. This starts with consistent washing and grooming routines. The steers are washed a few times a week, with an in-depth beauty routine. They start with a hose down to remove extra grime, a hair reviving shampoo is brushed in, a second hose down removes the first shampoo. A second deep cleaning shampoo gets them all foamy. After brushing in, this gets washed out, making sure no bubbles or residue are left in the steer’s coat. A squeegee removes extra water.
Next is the drying stage. The steers are put in a chute, ensuring they’re still enough for us to dry them. Once in the chute, they are blow dried, from the back to the head. They also get a spray of leave-in conditioner which is brushed, then blow dried in to ensure the hair is locked in place. Now imagine that was your wash routine.
The barn prep time includes a haircut, or a clipping, where a pair of pet clippers tidy up the steer’s coat. We try to hide imperfections and make sure we accentuate the good parts, making them look wide in the right areas. Only a couple of team members will do this job, as it requires hard-to-master artistic ability and skills.
(Letisha giving a blow dry at Hawkesbury Farm, one week before the Show. Photo credit: Tamara Tuchin, 2025)
Back to show day.
The steers are tied up at the showgrounds, sleeping in big straw beds. We wake them early, ready for their morning routine. They get brekky and a drink, but we’re on a tight schedule. The first class for the day is at 8:30am, and by the time the steers have eaten it’s 6:30AM. It’s off to the wash bays for an in-depth wash to make sure they look perfect for the show ring. With our large line up of steers, it’s important that every team member knows their job to ensure we work like a well-oiled machine. Some are washing, some are brushing, some are blow drying, and a couple are just running around grabbing all the extra bits and jumping in when needed.
It’s 8:15 AM and the classes are about to start marshalling – it’s go time. The steers have leather halters put on instead of regular rope ones and are offered one last bucket of water to make them look as chunky as possible. Of course, they receive a final touch up from the grooming team. I get my show cane and hat, then line up for the ring.
(Go time: the team leading the steers to the ring. Photo credit: Tamara Tuchin, 2025)
Into the ring we go, with the judges are in the middle looking at the steers. We complete several laps of the ring, following the steer in front. We then stop and line up. I line up the hooves of Nugget, my steer, nice and square to make him look as good as possible.
I’ve got to keep an eye on the judge so they have the best view of the animal, moving myself out of the way as needed. He looks us in the eyes and waves us forward. Up we go, into second place.
(Letisha and Nugget (left) in the ring. Photo credit: WSU Livestock Team, 2025)
Finally, the hard work pays off. Ribbons are draped over Nugget’s neck, and I receive a solid handshake. We leave the ring and pose for photos.
Now, it’s time for a well-deserved and appreciated rest.
(“Finally, the hard work pays off.” Photo credit: WSU Livestock Team, 2025)
