![Two members of Helen DeCosta's team Giddy and Lady, after winning the high-jump at Ardlethan show, where Giddy jumped just under six feet. Two members of Helen DeCosta's team Giddy and Lady, after winning the high-jump at Ardlethan show, where Giddy jumped just under six feet.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/213266621/a6857ef1-c808-40a7-919e-33ca74e77ac1.jpg/r0_60_1014_1347_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Well, it's certainly been a roller coaster of a year.
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I changed career paths in a big way, from a stock and station agent to a journalist for the Bible of the bush. But one week in the new job I broke my back.
Yes that's right, one week into a new career path as the livestock writer for The Land and I had to make a phone call to my new boss to say I will be laid up for the next month with a compression break on my L1 vertebrae in my back.
That in itself was a big learning curve, especially for someone that likes to be quite independent.
Learning to know when to ask for help and having patience was certainly a major part of my recovery.
I have tossed up so many ideas in my head about how to write this piece and whether to keep it more work focused or more personal and in the end it always comes back to telling it how it is.
When stepping into the job from previously being a stock and station agent, I'm not going to lie, it was eye-opening at first.
Having not written much since university and having only penned AuctionsPlus assessments for the past four years, writing 500 to more than 1000 word stories was a quite a task in the beginning.
But seeing familiar faces around my travels and having a degree of understanding of different aspects within the livestock industry really helped the transition.
Sale season was certainly one to remember.
I drove across the southern end of the state where I saw record prices being achieved, all while learning about different people's breeding objectives or management and what style of livestock suited them.
It's been a year of many firsts, one which saw bulls go under the hammer for $200,000, a feat that was celebrated an annual sales across the state.
It was such a surreal moment sitting in the sale shed to start the season as KO Teleporter T243 sold for $100,000 to then follow it up with Milwillah Sergeant S791 who sold for $190,000 and Milwillah Pheasantry T352 sell for $200,000.
Producers were also rewarded for steers performing in feedlots, or for their females breeding the house down for them as an older age cow.
At the beginning of the year, there were a few nervous thoughts about the upcoming sale season.
But the industry found faith in the genetics and the animals presented well. People continued to invest in good genetics when the saleyards and other markets took a big hit, while still keeping their programs moving forward for years to come.
![Helen DeCosta's first home-bred heifer Double H Cherry T094, with young Hereford enthusiast Abby Lawton, Gunning at the Herefords Australia Youth Show in July. Helen DeCosta's first home-bred heifer Double H Cherry T094, with young Hereford enthusiast Abby Lawton, Gunning at the Herefords Australia Youth Show in July.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/213266621/01b0496e-72c9-4843-a6a1-25d101aed1ce.JPG/r0_307_6000_3694_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Another first was being able to ballot out my first home-bred heifer for the Herefords Australia National Youth Show to a young up-and-coming parader.
Having grown up within the Hereford circle where I had mentors I now consider as family, it was a privilege to pass on the baton to someone who is passionate about the breed with the same opportunity I had more than 20 years ago.
When also covering the event for work, it was a different position to be able to take the time to watch the younger generation come through.
They concentrated intently while trying to soak up as much as they could over the three days.
But it's not just the cattle and sheep events that are interesting to cover.
In August I had the opportunity to report on the Wagga Working Dog auction, not only was it handy as it was just down the road from home, but it was great to see the talent and skill of both breeders and the dogs that were on offer.
Like the livestock sales, buyers were still willing to pay good money for dogs, knowing the value of them, especially with a current labour shortage.
This then led me onto taking part in my first encouragement dog trial, which one could say was eventful.
It all started off well with a good cast and my blue Kelpie, Giddy, guiding the sheep to me. But then it took a turn for the worse. Giddy started doing doughnuts on the course deciding where a good spot was to empty her bowels. This is where the embarrassment kicked in and the commentator said over the microphone: "I said sit, not do that!"
I just wanted just to retreat, but thankfully after that little hiccup the rest of the course was less eventful and was a success.
![The Land's livestock writer Helen DeCosta says in her new role at the paper, there's never two stories the same, from record prices to personal acheivements, through to everyday living. The Land's livestock writer Helen DeCosta says in her new role at the paper, there's never two stories the same, from record prices to personal acheivements, through to everyday living.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/213266621/911c398b-9ad5-40e4-ac41-1259835748ab.jpg/r0_0_4720_3987_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Once the rush of sale season was over, it was the chance to be able to cover some more on-farm leads and other rural stories.
Some of the highlights was to help people tell their stories and, or successes to a broader audience, and to showcase the recognition they deserve for things that matter most to them.
One being Chloe Campbell, a rural woman from Bombala, who has set up a new program for young rural women in medicine so they can navigate the costs of a university degree while connecting them with mentors in the profession.
Or there was a story about Sam Longmore, who suffered severe spinal cord and brain stem injuries from a car accident 10 years ago that left her paralysed down one side of her body.
Sam is now running a very successful business teaching people how to love the fibre that wool is and how to knit like she does, one handed.
But it didn't stop there, Sam was then chosen for the water skiing world championships in Canada earlier this year where she returned home a two-time gold medallist and a new world record holder.
It's also other topics that have an impact on the broader community that I was able to raise awareness of, including Beckom Public School being placed into recess.
Although a school of eight students, it was the heart of the community. At the time is was one of 24 schools in NSW that had been either put into recess or closed down in the last five years.
One of the greatest things about this position is there is a different story everyday.
Whether it be the price of meat of the shelves of the supermarkets, or going through routine or new practices within livestock production.