2018 Australian ICMJ team members Jake Bourlet (CSU), Harriet Moss (Murdoch), Emily Webb Ware (University of Melbourne), Lachlan Woods (CSU) and Bridie Luers (Murdoch) with head coach Tim Ryan, left. Click on image for a larger view

FOLLOWING a successful training session in Brisbane and surrounding areas over the past five days, the 2018 Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team was announced yesterday.

The team comprises of Bridie Luers and Harriet Moss from Murdoch, Lachlan Wood and Jake Bourlet from CSU Wagga, and Emily Webb Ware, University of Melbourne.

The five will travel to the United States in January to compete in a number of meat judging competitions and undertake a comprehensive tour of the US meat industry, before returning to Australia to either finalise their studies or commence working in the Australian meat industry.

Over the past week, the students were led by coaches Tim Ryan, Sarah Stewart and Nick van den Berg, where they learnt the intricacies of the US meat grading system – something they’ll need to be fully across in order to compete in the US in January, according to head coach, Tim Ryan.

“In addition to learning the US grading system, the group gained exposure to a whole range of businesses that many had not experienced before,” he said.

The group undertook a paddock-to-plate tour, visiting Australian Country Choice, JBS Dinmore and NH Foods Oakey beef processing plants, Mort & Co’s Grassdale feedlot, AA Co’s Brisbane headquarters, retail outlets, wholesalers, and food processors.

Accompanying the top ten finalists eligible for Australian selection were another 11 students from ten universities across Australia, chosen as the Coaches XI.

“This group of students was selected by their respective university coaches, as  the best performing during their training and the senior competition at Teys Wagga Wagga in July, but who did not quite score high enough to make the top ten,” ICMJ president, Dr Peter McGilchrist said.

“They’re the students most likely to carry the legacy and assist coaching in the years ahead,” he said.

One of the students chosen to represent Australia, Emily Webb Ware, said the ICMJ experience had been by far one of the biggest opportunities of her career in the red meat industry.

“As someone coming from a southern farming system background, it was really amazing to experience what happens in Queensland and the huge scale that they operate at,” she said.

“It made me realise just how large and complex the industry is, but allowed me to get much closer to understanding what really goes on.”

One of the Coaches XI members, Ashleigh O’Leary, also found the experience incredibly eye opening as well as immensely educational.

“The experience and insight attained will guide me through the industry and aid me in making future career decisions. I am overwhelmed at the opportunities available,” she said.

The Australian ICMJ committee thanked all sponsors that made the program possible, in particular the gold and platinum sponsors – Meat & Livestock Australia, AMPC, Teys Australia, Coles and Australian Pork.

“Without these partnerships, the program would not be possible,”  Dr McGilchrist said.

For the students keen to start training early for the July 2018 competition, or find out more about the ICMJ program, head to the ICMJ website (icmj.com.au), where there is a range of new training and promotional videos.

Tomorrow on Beef Central: Publisher Jon Condon sat down with participants in the ICMJ Brisbane training session yesterday. “What a great bunch of young people,” he writes in tomorrow’s report.  “Their boisterous enthusiasm, energy and optimism for the meat and livestock industry was infectious.”

Source: ICMJ