ALFA's Community Heroes Award, sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition, is back for the fourth year running. This heart-warming award recognises and rewards feedlots across Australia for their outstanding contributions to local communities and the environment.
The overall winner will receive a $5,000 cash donation that can be directed towards a local charity, business, or feedlot initiative, further enriching their communities.
Smithfield Feedlot supports Pony Club's education for next generation
By Kate Stark
The team at Smithfield Cattle Company near Proston are working hard to ensure the next generation of cattle farmers develop the necessary skills to join the workforce.
Opening the Proston Pony Club in 2015, with the help of a small team of people, the vision of the club was to teach the next generation of children important horse and livestock handling skills.
Beginning with only a handful of members, the club utilised the skill set of Smithfield Feedlot’s experienced staff to teach the children.
Smithfield’s feedlot manager Kailen Hodgson said word quickly spread about the extraordinary calibre of professionals donating their time to coach members with the club quickly growing to more than 25 riding members.
“Many of these children are travelling from nearby towns and districts to participate,” Mr Hodgson said.
The Proston Pony Club has since hosted many events and camps with members meeting monthly for rally days.
“Our members have gone on to compete successfully at campdrafts, gymkhanas, local shows, challenges and many other disciplined horse sports.”
Mr Hodgson said Smithfield Cattle Company is proud of the club’s co-founders Mary and Johno Ramke whose efforts have ensured the success of the club.
“Mary and Johno have been a part of the Smithfield Team for more than 25 years.
“They have a beautiful young family with their two boys, Andrew and William, also participating in club events throughout their youth for years.”
The Proston Pony Club offers children of all ages access to a network of learning a range of horsemanship disciplines, animal husbandry and building the fundamentals of caring for animals at an early age.
“The club is very focused on the development of the kids and the committee focuses on learning and development areas when planning club events.”
Mr Hodgson said the club holds an annual gymkhana and hosts monthly rallies which provide different challenges for children to complete.
“One month could be splitting the children into small groups with dry work patterns to complete with rotations promoting range of movement and safe handling of horses with rider safety paramount.
“Another month could be the children having to use sticky notes to label the body parts of their horse, learning anatomy; or a horse shoeing school where the children learn to safely shoe their horses.”
Mr Hodgson said Smithfield is proud to provide a learning opportunity to local children who may one day choose a career in the beef industry.
“One of the biggest challenges the feedlot industry faces is a lack of livestock and horsemanship knowledge and experience, along with good horse and rider skills.
“If we can contribute to supporting a club where their primary focus is building horsemanship and livestock skills from an early age, we are contributing to the next generation.”
About the ALFA Community Heroes Award
Smithfield Feedlot has entered the ALFA Community Heroes Award which recognises and rewards feedlots which are actively nourishing their community and environment. The winner, announced at BeefEx in October, will receive a $5,000 cash donation towards a local charity, business, or feedlot initiative to assist in further development and impact of the initiative.
With thanks to our ALFA Platinum Member sponsor, Lallemand Animal Nutrition for their support of this Award.
