TAKING STOCK: Show mums breed the next generation of ag leaders

Last Saturday I learned the real difference and nothing prepared me for the requirements of the job.

As a soccer mum, you cart your child to training once a week, throw a few clothes in with the rest of the washing and slice oranges on game day. You leave at a reasonable hour and after a few hours you are back home.

Show mums have 3am starts, camp in muddy conditions and use communal showers.

Let's not forget the fine print commitment about scrubbing cow dung out of cream pants, now that's certainly the ultimate definition of character building.

If anyone is wondering the secret; dry scrub, bicarb soda mix, then Vanish for five minutes and an hour of scrubbing causing repetitive strain injury before soaking overnight.

My own family has never seen me so dedicated to washing clothes.

And who would have thought baby wipes cleaned more than just babies' behinds.

They have multiple uses at a show, from cleaning mud off pants between competition rounds, poo from steers legs and I never thought I would get in and wipe a steer's backside.

But the biggest difference between soccer and show mums is that they get to witness their children on a different playing field.

They have to be compassionate with their teammates, even the four legged ones.

They are not just responsible for feeding themselves but also their bovine mates.

Like all good athletes their nutritional schedules are planned months in advance.

There is technique too; from rump to rib fats, and muscle scores.

Even a shoe shiner would be proud of the sparkle that these kids can muster in their show halters and canes.

For many kids this is an introduction into agriculture.

And even those that don't end up with a career in agriculture have an appreciation for where their food comes from because they are the consumers of the future.

So, I've certainly got a new appreciation for show mums.

While show mums might not be breeding the next rugby union legend John Eales or cricketing great Steve Waugh, they are breeding the next agricultural leaders like Jason Strong.

Strong went through the Angus youth program in 1990 where he won a national judging competition.

He was also an integral part in development of youth program.

Now he heads up Meat and Livestock Australia as manager director.

Related reading: The Yellowstone tv line that had farmers cheering

There's even our own The Land livestock editor Hannah Powe.

Powe has shown cattle since she was in the junior program at the age of 15 where she went onto win several titles including being awarded the Angus Australia scholarship to the University of Illinois.

And who can forget the late great cricketer Phillip Hughes who as a youngster presented his cattle at local shows like Macksville and Kempsey.

That passion started at Sydney Royal where the father (Greg) and son sat in the stands like they did every year inspecting the cattle.

Now his Four 0 Eight Angus stud lives on thanks to his family at Macksville, who were back at Kempsey Show yesterday with their cattle.

So here's to the mums, who are breeding the next generation of leaders and who are kicking goals on and off the paddock.

Sure it might be painful scrubbing the dirt off the whites or devoting a whole weekend consuming show food like dagwood dogs and fairy floss, but seeing the smiling faces of our children is well and truly worth it.

Love agricultural news? Sign up for The Land's free daily newsletter.