UP and coming Hereford breeder Lucy Crowley hopes to have a strong future in the agriculture industry, and her recent win the of the Most Potential Breeder Award at the Herefords Northern NSW Youth Show will help her pave her way.
Receiving an eight-month-old heifer, Mountain Valley Prudence S046, donated by Shelley and Ian Durkin, Mountain Valley stud, Coolatai, Miss Crowley said it was her "first glimpse" into having her own stud.
"When she gets old enough I'd like to join her and continue the bloodline," she said.
Living at Armidale with her family, Miss Crowley said she really wants to show the the heifer at the local ag shows but is not sure if she will get to do as many as she had thought as they are being cancelled due to the COVID-19.
"I guess we will take her around and see what we can do," she said.
Miss Crowley's family hadn't shown cattle since her father, Michael, was young so getting back out into the show ring has been positive for the stud.
"I have noticed that showing our cattle has been really important for us," she said. "More people know me as a person and more people are interested in our stud and know more about it.
"I just really want to promote the breed through showing cattle and promote my own stud at the same time."
As Miss Crowley becomes a stud breeder she is beginning to develop and find the style of cattle she wants.
"I want to breed all the desirable traits in Herefords that other people may not know about, including how fertile they are, how well they do on any sort of feed, and the easy-doing ability, and durability," she said.
The decision to establish her own stud was easy for Miss Crowley, however she will have her own branch run under her family's stud, Cottage Poll Herefords at Cobbadah near Barraba.
"I might keep running under the family stud name because it is so important for me that my father and grandfather have the trust in me to keep the stud going," she said.
"I would have my own branch to know they were my own cattle but still remain in the family stud."
Miss Crowley she definitely wants to go in the ag direction, but is unsure which specific field as of yet.
"I think this year and next year will be just exploring what I can do and learning all the ropes to do everything myself," she said.
Miss Crowley will complete work experience in areas such as agronomy, and hopes to complete a degree in agriculture or rural science.
She has a number of goals, with the main being able to live on-farm and run the family's Hereford stud.
"I just would love to promote the breed a bit more and help people to see some of the traits in the breed that a lot of people don't know about and increase awareness," she said.
As Miss Crowley has grown up through cattle youth camps she aims to get more young kids interested in the breed, as that is her main thing.
"I just really like to give all the amazing opportunities to all the other kids that are interested in Herefords and all the other breeds in the industry," she said.
While she waits to finish high school, "saving up some money" is a bit factor as she would like to "go to some sales and be able to buy a heifer or bull to increase the herd".
