Rural
3 September, 2025
Longy cattle show in Melbourne Show
Longerenong Agricultural College student Lucy Sharp will step into the ring at the Royal Melbourne Show later this month, joining nine of her fellow first-year Certificate IV in Agriculture and Wool Classing classmates in the college's 2025 field team.
Ms Sharp, who grew up in Mildura, said being chosen was a proud moment.
"I was really happy, as I've been wanting to do this for a while," she said.
"I was looking for Longy College for about two years before I actually came here, and I've always wanted to do this.
"I actually came here with the intention of doing it."
The group will present livestock in a series of competitions, including handler and breed classes.
"So when we go to the Melbourne Show, we'll have multiple presentations," She said.
"There's a handler's presentation, a breed presentation, and also just like when you lead them around.
"In the handler's presentation, they get marked on everything — the way you handle the steer, basically how it looks and everything."
She said the show experience would span several days.
"We'll do two days of presenting, and we'll be down there for four.
"So while we're there, we'll be tying them up, watching them," she said.
"I think we're taking 10 steers."
For Ms Sharp, the event is about more than just ribbons.
"I think a lot of people definitely should know how much work it takes, actually, to get food," she said.
"People think they just go to the supermarket and buy food, but they don't actually know where it's all coming from and all the work that's put in actually to get it there."
Her long-term ambition is to work with cattle.
"I'd probably start in a feedlot when I leave here, and I'd love to work my way up to some big stations," she said.
"Studying at Longy helps you get that broader knowledge, which you can take with you and expand and just make it easier, I guess."
She also encouraged other young people to consider studying agriculture.
"It'll make it so much easier to go out and actually start working because you already have that knowledge in your head," she said.
"Just do it."
And for those heading to the Royal Melbourne Show, Ms Sharp had a simple invitation: "Come say hello, we're always welcome if you just come up to our stand — we'll have a chat with you, talk about all our steers and what we've done with them."