I'LL never forget the cries of enjoyment from my then colleague Olivia Calver at the Sydney Royal Easter Show when she discovered a duck had claimed grand champion bird of show.
It was the first time in its 199-year history that a duck had won the top prize.
Given it was my first time at the show, I felt privileged to be a small part of it.
The victory meant the duck debuted in the grand parade (visualise a moment similar to Simba's birth scene in The Lion King, but only if Simba had to share Pride Rock with the woodchopping team).
Looking back now, I realise photos of that historic moment would be symbolic of what agriculture has endured this year.
Despite there being big wins by underdogs, such as the duck, there was always the sense of looming danger like the axes and the chopping block.
Cracking summer crops were on full display in the early months of the year, particularly during the annual Duri Sorghum Competition and the Premer Field Day.
However, in the state's North West and western regions, the spectacular yields were somewhat overshadowed by the sound of squeaking and scratching in the walls, as well as destroyed silo bags and hay stacks.
The mouse plague was one of those shared experiences where those in the bush all knew the physical, emotional and mental toll, while those in the city only really took notice when there was talk of the pests making their way to the big smoke.
A trip to Tasmania for the better half and myself proved to be the perfect tonic as it put some distance between us and the mice, while also offering a rare chance in a COVID-19 world to explore this great country.
There was little time to settle back in to the day-to-day life of a journalist upon my return as I was thrust into my first Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Despite the sun beating down on that first weekend in the cattle judging rings, I had an absolute ball seeing the best of the state's agricultural sector.
From the sheep shed, to the alpaca competitions and everything in-between, I enjoyed every minute and especially enjoyed getting to meet many of my colleagues for the first time, as being spread across the state limits our chances to get together.
The next taste of show competition came a few months later as a few members of The Land team and myself braved the cold at the NSW Sheep Show in Dubbo.
Even as a Victorian, this was a level of cold rarely seen in my formative days in the Wimmera.
I was quickly warmed by meeting many great people and learned so much more about the state's sheep industry, it is truly one of the best events on the sector's calendar.
After a return to Tamworth, we welcomed a new family member in the form of our Border Collie-Australian Shepherd cross puppy Gertrude.
Gertie has certainly ensured life has been far from boring and has been busy exploring the district's paddocks in all their glory throughout the winter.
However, much like the rest of us, Gertie had to get used to spending a lot more time at home as the year became truly divided by the resurgence of COVID-19.
What started as such a promising year quickly became quite turbulent as the virus made its way into the regions for the first time.
It certainly made the bull sale season in the state's north more challenging because seemingly in the blink of an eye, we went from being care free and interacting with people from across the state to having to carry a form letter so the constabulary knew we were essential.
However, as this industry has always done, we overcame the challenges and pushed ahead.
I became a regular on the sale circuit after my good friend and colleague Lucy Kinbacher ventured back to her beloved sunshine state to take on the role as editor of the Queensland Country Life.
Lucy is sorely missed in our team, but her help and support during the sale season was invaluable and helped make the more than 40 bull sales I went to this year a great experience.
The assistance I received from some of the state's best and most respected stud auctioneers, stud stock agents and stud principals made the process of learning the ropes much easier and I will forever be indebted to them for their guidance.
It was a real chance for me to learn by doing but there was certainly quite a few days that will stick in my mind as being far from ideal weather-wise.
I'll never forget patiently waiting to get the best possible photo of a top-selling bull, only to reconsider our options after 45 minutes of trying when it started snowing.
As we began to turn the corner in terms of COVID-19 and the weather, headers began to roll and the promise of a bumper winter harvest looked set to come to fruition.
However, the rain came and just never stopped, washing away the hopes of a bumper harvest for many.
It's a tough pill to swallow to finish off the year, but one can't help but feel optimistic based on the positive attitude shown by so many of those worst affected.
No one would have blamed those hardest hit by the floods for having a serious think about the trials and tribulations of farming, but as always, the community spirit of the bush shone through and we carried on.
Here's hoping in 2022 we can all stand on the Indian Runner's version of Pride Rock and the dangers of 2021 such as COVID-19 and flooding rains will be left on the chopping block.
Love agricultural news? Sign up for The Land's free daily newsletter.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
