Program
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Cattle Connect 2025 - Day 1
Campdraft & Sundowner
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Cattle Connect 2025 - Day 2
Workshops and Demonstrations
Please note, program subject to change.
"Showstopper Steaks" - The Producer, the Butcher and the Chef
Cattle Connect 2025 Sundowner, 6pm - 7pm Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Join us as we bring together local producers, a master butcher and one of Australia’s leading red meat chefs, to showcase the world-class beef that Australia is famous for – after all, we’re home to 11 of the best steak restaurants on the planet. Watch live butchery demonstrations by expert Doug Piper as he breaks down full rib sets and reveals underused cuts like the flat iron, while MLA Corporate Chef Sam Burke and the team fire up the grills to show you how to cook them to perfection.
From rump caps to Tomahawks, it’s all about making show-stopping steaks a staple all year round – matched with incredible sides like duck fat potatoes and chimichurri. With live fire pits, serious BBQ stations, and local producers showcasing their finest, this is more than a meal – it’s a movement to bring people back to the table and rediscover the greatest meal on earth.
Whether you're a beef producer, chef, foodie, or steak enthusiast, this event will leave you inspired, informed, and seriously hungry.
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
** Demonstrations times will be confirmed soon**
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
** Demonstrations times will be confirmed soon**
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.
CONFERENCE ORGANISER
AA&P Events
p: +61 (0) 8 8942 3388