Allen & Denise Whatman, Crosshill Road, MS 212, Oakey, Qld 4401. Phone 07 4691 6131.
Fifty Years of Showing.
Allen started showing cattle when he was nine years of age in conjunction with his mother, Joyce Whatman, under the Stud name ‘Allen Park’ until he married Denise and they formed their own Stud ‘Allen Vale’.
Allen and Denise have bred four Excellent cows and have owned 6 Excellent cows.
Their three Allen Vale greats were Allen Vale Jean 7th EX, Allen Vale Blossom 6th Ex and Allen Vale Aileen 11th EX2.
Jean 7th EX was Champion Cow in three states of Australia.
Allen Vale Aileen 11th has been Champion Cow at Sydney Royal, Toowoomba Royal and International Dairy Week (Victoria).
Allen Vale Blossom 6th won a host of champions as well including Brisbane Royal.
Another cow that did Allen and Denise proud was New Park Beauty 154, which they purchased at he New Park dispersal sale. New Park was owned by John Wills. New Park Beauty 154 was only a yearling when they purchased her. She also achieved many champions including three times Champion Cow at Kiama, three years in succession which was a record at the time and when Kiama Show was on a par with Sydney Royal.
Allen and Denise also had a very good production cow, Allen Vale Linda 2nd who was the NSW Mature Class leader – 11,352 litres milk, 411 kgs Fat, 396 kgs protein. Linda 2nd also had a great working granddaughter, Allen Vale Linda 28th who also was a NSW Senior 2 years class leader, producing 8607 litres milk, 314 kgs fat, 283 kgs protein. They did not start showing Allen Vale Linda 2nd until she was ten years old but at that age she took out many champions.
Many years ago, Allen and Denise purchased a Marlene cow from the Coral Grove Illawarra Stud owned by John Green. Allen and Denise say they have been very lucky to have kept the Marlene family going for so many years.
In years gone by the Whatmans have always shown big teams at shows such as Kiama, Robertson and Moss Vale. The biggest team they showed was at Kiama – twenty-one head with their teams always being between fifteen and twenty-one head. However, they were very lucky to have a great helper in our daughter Annette (Dorries) who always worked her heart out for them. Another helper they had from time to time was Mark Norman. Since selling their milking herd they now only show small teams and don’t attend as many shows.
This year (2008), Allen and Denise have showed at International Dairy Week taking six head including three Marlenes. One, Allen Vale Marlene 13th was third in her class. She was also showed at IDW in 2007 when she won her class. At Toowoomba Royal 2007 she was Juvenile Champion. Overall, Allen and Denise now have six Marlenes.
One of the greatest joys of showing cattle to Allen and Denise, is the wonderful people they meet, not only in Australia but all over the world. Showing is not easy work for exhibitors, however to the Whatmans it is enjoyable and very rewarding. They have many great memories of a lot of long hard hours of work and many rewards that they have won over the fifty years of showing.
Allen always says it is a great privilege to be asked to judge at a show.
On closing Allen and Denise’s story of Fifty Years of Showing, they say that they have had so many good times and successes that it would take too long to put on paper. In saying that they still love to show their cattle even though in much smaller teams nowadays and also still love the friendship and involvement in stud cattle.
Allen Vale Marlene 13th
