"It's the little things you pick up on that you didn't know before," declared Wingham High School year 11 student Brooke Anderson.
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For the past two years Brooke was an associate judge at Wingham Beef Week learning on the job for an interest that may very well prove to be her future.
Hard work and perserverance studying agriculture at school and being part of the school's show team, has seen Brooke win the coveted title of champion judge at Beef Week twice. Such an honour then allowed Brooke to stand shoulder to shoulder with the expert judge Ben Toll.
"I got to learn a lot," she admits.
"It was really great."
Brooke is part of Wingham agricultural royalty, she is the niece of Janelle and Paul Relf whose steer recently won the biggest prize in Australia - grand champion steer at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
She is also the cousin of Jonty Hemmingway, herself a product of the Wingham High School agriculture program and the 2015 national title holder of the FCAS (Federal Council of Agricultural Societies) National Beef Cattle Young Judges Championships.
"Jonty is a big inspiration to me," said Brooke.
"We joked at Beef Week that it must be in our genetics!"
Jonty graduated high school and walked straight into a job at Wingham Beef Exports as a livestock and production assistant while in her gap year.
"I'm hoping it is a possible career path for me too," said Brooke.
"I enjoy it, I've learned a lot and I'm alright at it."
Career opportunities include working for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) grading meat around the country.
With such aspirations Brooke is well aware she and her fellow Wingham ag students are fortunate to have Beef Week on their doorstep.
“Not many people get the opportunity to go into the abs,” she said.
Following a path into the meat industry is a natural one for Brooke although judging beef cattle isn't her only talent. She is also an accomplished horsewoman competing regularly on the campdraft circuit with her family – mum Marie, dad Mark and older brother Aaron.
In 2013 she was crowned junior national champion at the ABCRA National Campdraft Finals at Tamworth in achieving a record score of 90 - not only a personal best but a record for the centre.
