Gloria Molinara of White Gates Illawarra stud fame, received a thrill at the 2012 Melbourne Show when granddaughters Taya, Zoe and Georgie placed 2nd, 3rd and 5th respectively in an All Breeds Junior Paraders Class.
The winning parader was Clare Martin, a helper Brooke Evans' team.
Thomas Follett, a ten year old grandson of Ken and Marlene Follett of Bremer View, Langhorne Creek, SA, has developed an intense interest in the Illawarra breed for no apparent reason and with no encouragement from the family. The Bremer View herd was dispersed years before Thomas was born but perhaps his interest can be put down to genetics, going back to Thomas' great-grandfather, the late Len Follett.
The majority of the farm grows grapes with only a few mixed beef cattle to control the grass. However, Thomas is now the self appointed livestock manager at Bremer View with his pride and joy being a young heifer from Glenbrook stud, a descendant of Bremer View Belle 66, a cow purchased by Ian Mueller at the dispersal sale. The Belles were a prominent cow family at Bremer View. Thomas has his own dreams to develop a dairy herd in the future.
Another old Illawarra family, the Strongs, may be on the comeback trail. Fourteen year old Madison is the oldest daughter of Tim and Bec Strong of Deniliquin, of 'Merrivale' fame and has recently become a junior member of the ICSA. The Strongs are now rice growers although they retain a few Illawarra cows. Madison has been keen to show the odd heifer, although not registered, at the Deniliquin Show.
Madison was part of the Deniliquin High School Melbourne Show team and during the show Terry and Ursula Tidcombe presented Madison with a young heifer from their show team. Madison has subsequently entered this heifer for IDW.
Madison is the great-granddaughter of the late Alex Strong who developed the Broughton stud in the Lismore area of Northern NSW. The Broughton herd was very successful and there is a fair chance that any 'Calm' cow will trace back to Broughton.
Kieran and Patrick Bourke (Myrtleholme Stud) will spend quite some time playing cricket over the summer holidays with sixteen year old Kieran selected for Darling Downs and SW Qld U19 team while Patrick has been selected in the U15 team.
This sporting family must love their cricket with Myrtleholme bulls being named Clarke, Punter, Hayden, Hussey, Siddle, North, Hughes, Watson, Taylor, Warnie, Hogg, Symonds, Johnston and McGrath.
Another Queensland junior member, Cherie Davis from Malanda, prepared and showed a team of 14 head on behalf of the family at the Calf Show held in October. While the family exhibits under the Prospect prefix, Cherie has her own stud of Green Valley.
Brother Ricky helped out Jock Johnston at the RNA but hasn't been too well of late. We wish him all the best.
Brian and Patrick Noakes come from a family with a long history in the Illawarra breed going back over 100 years. The English family moved from the Northern Rivers in NSW to Malanda on the Atherton Tablelands before grandfather Jim English moved his Eacham Park herd and family to Wondai in 1981. Unfortunately Jim and the boys' Uncle James passed away in a tragic motor vehicle accident on Christmas Eve 2011.
The two boys have helped out Jock Johnston and Steve Ledger at Toowoomba, Maleny and Brisbane shows, exhibiting two head at the RNA, continuing the family tradition.
The boys had a great show at Wondai winning Supreme Champion Cow from five breeds showed. Seventeen year old Brian has been appointed to the State Judging Panel and has judged one show. He also won the Junior Judging competition at Maleny.
After defeating his father Warren in a heifer class at a local show last year, 8 year old Reece Gallagher has caught the show bug and is developing a sharp eye for good type. He really looked the part at the 2012 Lismore Show parading in the Illawarra uniform and sleeping on the showgrounds. The night before judging he went to bed at 7.30pm with the intention of doing the midnight shift.
Emily Miegel, a South Australian junior member, has a wonderful bubbly personality which is a feature of the show shed at Adelaide. Emily has shown a heifer at the last two Adelaide shows, last year winning the yearling heifer class and HM Juvenile. That heifer calved the day before the 2012 judging day but her heifer class was thoroughly spoilt with all the attention.
Emily must also have a good eye for flowers as one day she went with Trent Mueller up to the Brinkley farm, picking a couple of roses from the uncared for garden. Her grandmother took one to the show to win Champion Flower of the Show.
