Angus ARCBA delegates build relationships in the beef industry

He's new to the Angus world, but Sean Wright has a long history in the beef industry, with his family owning the Ramsey Creek Brangus and Ultrablack stud.

Sean, 27, has recently returned home to Banana, Qld, to work in the family business which includes irrigated cropping and cattle on three blocks at Banana, Baralaba and Biloela.

Since graduating from Marcus Oldham in 2018 he's worked in a range of positions in agriculture, including meat trading, lotfeeding, working on a superfine Merino operation, and working for the Kerin Poll Merino and Kenny's Creek Angus studs.

He's also been overseas on a few tours, including one where he worked at the well-regarded Risington Cattle Company in New Zealand.

"That was my first time working in an intensive seedstock scenario in the Angus breed," Sean said.

"I also worked for the Burton Taylors at Kenny's Creek Angus in their meat trading business for KC Natural and helped out occasionally in the stud."

The Wright family has been breeding Brangus cattle for 20 years and Sean added Angus to the business this year with the purchase of a heifer from Knowla Livestock at Gloucester in NSW.

"We're focused on breeding Angus animals that are bred for the north, being in the tick zone," Sean said.

"It'll be a long process to find the genetics that will work, but we're planning to do it intensively through IVF, embryo transfer and artificial insemination.

"We're trying to match genotype with the phenotype for the north, managing parasite resistance, pink eye management, and breeding for coat type to manage the heat and parasites."

Sean said the marketability of the Angus breed made it a good fit for the business.

"It's a dynamic breed and you can shift them into any market, from grass-fed pasture systems in northern Australia to feeder-type products and meat production. Using Angus genetics is how you achieve quality with strong consistency."

While he's made many connections within the ag industry, the ARCBA workshop was a good opportunity for Sean to create relationships in the beef sector.

"It's another point of networking for me, and it's good to see what's challenging different breeds and societies, and the directions they're heading in."

The beef industry is in Chloe Plowman's blood, having grown up in her family's Ruby Ridge Angus stud.

Her grandfather Allan Crawford was a dairy farmer and showed dairy cattle before he went into lotfeeding, and Chloe's aunties and uncles have seedstock operations in other breeds.

The 20-year-old is is a junior real estate and livestock agent at Aussie Land and Livestock at Kingaroy, Qld, but also works in the family operation which includes about 70 registered breeders and about 40 commercial breeders.

The stud has a bull sale every August and is now selling 50 registered heifers in an online sale in January 2024.

Chloe started showing cattle at the age of nine, and continued through high school, building many relationships through the show circuit.

The family has offered young girls from local high school show teams the opportunity to participate in cattle showing, handling and judging competitions with Ruby Ridge cattle.

"I'm looking to be more involved in the show circuit, and in future taking on the role of section steward to help organise it," Chloe said.

Chloe has participated in Angus Youth competitions for many years, which led to her receiving the NH Foods Australia Angus Foundation Cadetship earlier this year.

The four-week cadetship gave Chloe hands-on experience in different parts of the supply chain, including lotfeeding, processing and trading.

"It's helped me build a greater understanding of the red meat industry and I'm using what I learnt every day," she said.

"It was great to see how everything works along the supply chain, which a lot of producers wouldn't see, like the feedlots and abattoirs, but even seeing them dealing with overseas clients and making sales at the head office."

Chloe's passionate about getting more young people interested in the beef industry.

"I love meeting new people and learning about leadership and strategies.

"As part of the cadetship I had a week at Marcus Oldham for an intensive leadership course, and they had a lot of guest speakers from the industry, who shared how they've developed their careers and leadership over time. It was really focused on implementing leadership in a business, no matter what title you have."