The team had a very successful 2017 and, heading back with different sheep, to different judges and 12 months of difficult conditions due to the dry, hot weather, made the outcome a bit uncertain, ag teacher Jon Abbott said. 

“With 10 sheep from our Eskbank Corriedale stud and our students also handling Chris and Amanda Kemp’s 10 sheep from Merrigal Corriedales (Merriwa NSW), it was a busy time for our students who worked extremely hard in physically demanding conditions for hours at a time,” he said. 

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The 20 sheep had eight handlers from Lithgow High School, Katrina Abbott, Bridget Pate, Kasey Mill, Jessica Pollard, Callie Capamola, Jessie Ringin, Caleb Traish and Ben Seymour.

But there was no disappointment as the judging rolled around. 

The team contested the schools and open section, coming home with ribbons in each. 

“Our results were beyond expectations with nine of our 10 sheep all receiving places in at least one class they were entered,” Mr Abbott said. 

The greatest wins were: Champion Schools Ram; Reserve Champion Ram and Best Headed Corriedale Ram. 

It was not only the sheep that performed well. Two of the senior students excelled in the handling competition.

Year 12 students Katrina Abbott and Bridget Pate entered the handlers competition for 14 to 20-year-olds. Katrina came first, improving on her second in 2017, and Bridget came fifth, her first time placed in a handlers’ competition. (Bridget qualified for the junior judging final at the Upper Hunter Beef bonanza in 2017 out of 140 entrants.)

“These results were exceptional in a large class of 30 handlers and is a great way for these two dedicated agriculture students to end their Sydney Royal exhibiting for Lithgow High,” Mr Abbott said. 

Katrina Abbott, Bridget Pate and Ben Seymour were also asked to handle a team of three Corriedales, one ram and two ewes, for the Tymec Stud from Laggan (near Crookwell). They won the class and then exhibited in the Interbreed competition the next day.

“It’s not easy exhibiting other studs’ sheep... there is always an unknown element,” Mr Abbott said. 

“A big thankyou to the school, the families of the students and camp mum Alison Grant for the continued support of our Show Team, the experiences you enable these students to have is priceless to their personal development.

“They are learning skills that they will need and use for the rest of their lives. Not just animal handling skills but social skills, communication skills, being able to work under pressure and as a team, time management skills and probably the big one self-esteem.

“I have seen some massive improvements in the confidence of these students and in some cases, it can happen from just one experience.”