A Euroa teenager has collected major honours at the Royal Melbourne Show after winning his class and securing reserve champion status with a heifer he owns and exhibits himself. Seventeen-year-old Angus Burton, who is studying at Yanco Agricultural High School, won the 10 to 12-month-old heifer calf class with PJ Dream W31 in the youth feature show on Saturday 3 October. The 11-month-old heifer then went on to claim Reserve Champion, while also taking first place in the Angus breed judging ring in the same class. The success marked a significant milestone for Angus, who said it was the first time he had competed under his own name after previously showing cattle for other exhibitors. "It's what got me into showing," he said. "I wanted to do something after school, so I got to the cattle yards and became part of the cattle team, and pretty soon I was getting involved." Angus purchased the heifer himself and has begun establishing his own Angus stud, although he admits it remains a modest operation. "Only the one heifer at the moment. It's early days," he said. His longer-term plans include expanding herd numbers through selective breeding and artificial insemination. "At the moment I just need to keep growing and building the herd size and producing quality cattle," he said. The cattle industry runs in the family, with his parents and grandfather involved in commercial cattle breeding. Angus said he hoped to continue showing at local events in the future, including the Euroa Agricultural Show, although farm commitments may sometimes take priority. His ambitions extend far beyond local show rings. "It's just about having plenty of dedication to it and wanting to go further with it in breeding and going overseas as well," he said. The weekend was made even more memorable when Angus took to the ring again on Sunday, this time as a judge.
