DEMONSTRATIONS

Heifer Selection with Billi Marshall

Heifer selection is one of the highest-leverage decisions in a beef business: the replacements you keep shape fertility, longevity and return on investment for the next decade. In this 40-minute live demonstration, accredited bovine reproduction specialist Billi Marshall (Imperial Bovine Breeding Services) will show the traits that truly matter in your heifers - growth, soundness, temperament, productivity and long-term profitability.

Billi will work through a structured, side-by-side assessment of different animals in the yard, explaining exactly what to look for and why.

You'll learn

• What to look for - and what to prioritise - in heifers
• How structure links to fertility, longevity and herd return
• How to build confidence in your own selection decisions

Working Dog Demonstrations with Neil McDonald

For more than three decades, Neil McDonald has been regarded as one of Australia’s leading working dog educators. Known nationally for his role on ABC’s Muster Dogs and for the widely travelled Neil McDonald Dog Schools, he delivers a rare combination of humour, clarity and deep stock sense grounded in real work.

In this live demonstration, Neil draws on the principles of stock psychology and dog handling to show how ‘head and heart’ - discipline and care - create a reliable, effective working dog. Whether you’re new to dogs, already using them and wanting to sharpen your skill, or simply work stock and want to understand the dog-stock connection better, this session is built to lift your thinking and your handling.

You'll learn

• How dogs and cattle think and react under pressure - and how to read them
• How to blend discipline and trust to shape a workmate, not a liability
• Practical handling principles you can take straight back to work

Special Guest: Cilla Pershouse & Ash Barky 

Joining Neil on the working dog arena is Cilla Pershouse from ABC’s Muster Dogs, travelling down from Ban Ban Springs with her well-known companion Ash Barky for a special appearance. Cilla and Ash will open with a light entertainment segment and a few tricks before Neil’s demonstration, followed by a relaxed meet-and-greet with the crowd.

Thank you to Diamondy Wagyu for supplying the cattle for this demonstration.

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