AT 20 years of age, Bannockburn local Annie Pumpa is not afraid to push the boundaries and explore the agriculture world, making connections and growing her knowledge while she is still young.
Originally from Culcairn, NSW, Ms Pumpa said she had always been involved with agriculture through her family’s commercial cattle operation.
But it was in year seven when she first joined her school’s ag team that she was exposed to the friendships, dedication, and passion of the show stock world.
“I was part of the ag show team from year seven to 12, mainly doing a lot of carcase competitions with school and along the way I met a lot of people that let me start working with studs from year nine onwards,” Ms Pumpa said.
“I have a passion for carcase competitions, and I will always remember the first steer I had at the Royal Melbourne Show, that took out supreme champion on the hoof – that is a day I will never forget.”
Still heavily involved in carcase competitions and stud cattle showing to this day, Ms Pumpa said she was lucky enough to be gifted with straws of semen in Fish Creek Farm Thunderstruck L1 from Jason and Sarah Keays, that allowed her to make a dream come true.
“Matt Rigano also helped, as I had worked for him, he allowed me to choose a cow to put the straws into,” she said.
“I now have a Limousin/Speckle Park-cross heifer calf, which I have the long-term goal of putting an Angus over to start breeding show steers.
“I've started my venture with a commercial breeding herd for show calves, but I hope to one day have a line of black baldy calves and compete at carcase comps, including the Ekka.”
Ms Pumpa’s interest in carcase competitions isn't only for the breaking in, showing and hair work involved, but extends into stripping the animal back and looking into “how what was fed and how they were managed alters their score and grade”.
“I find it really interesting to see how a change in grain, genetics and breeds can alter different areas of grading,” she said.
This desire to want to know more has Ms Pumpa analysing and reading results for months after steer competitions, calling people to find out more information to build her knowledge bank.
She said if she was to get started in the stud business, she would choose either Simmentals or Red Angus.
“Simmentals have worked at home over our Angus cattle, but I also have a soft spot for Red Angus as I have worked with them so much," she said.
She’s had multiple mentors along the way, including Andrew Kelly, Rosewood Red Angus.
