A HANDFUL of rural Queensland Shows that are set to clash with the beef industry's biggest event in May are encouraging people not to forget them, having been forced to cancel some cattle competitions or struggle to find judges.
Stud cattle exhibits competing at Rockhampton’s Beef 2018 are required at the event from 8am Saturday May 5 until 11pm Friday May 11, making it unable for them to attend at least nine Queensland Shows held during those dates.
While Mundubbera Show (May 11-12) has previously held their stud cattle competition individually ahead of Beef, this year they have cancelled.
They are joined by Taroom Show (May 7-8), Eidsvold Show (May 6) and, St George (May 6) and Roma Show (May 11-12) who won't have stud cattle.
But for some societies, the show must go on.
Marburg Show expects its stud cattle competition on May 12 to drop from their usual 120-130 entries to lower to 50 or 60.
But, President Ross Buchanan, said there were still a number of local cattle producers who wouldn’t be heading to Rockhampton.
“It doesn’t worry us that much because we don’t depend on it as a drawcard, we treat it as a service to all those people with the cattle,” he said.
“The drawcard of the cattle is mostly the family of the cattle owners and the schools.
“There are smaller breeders here that won’t take their cattle up (to Beef), it’s too expensive for them.”
They plan to attract patrons through the return of trotting events for the second year and an American monster truck making its Australian debut.
The Blackall Show (May 4-5) won’t expand on their prime cattle competition this year but will still run their three classes; pen of heifers, cow and calf, pen of bulls.
Attendees lost to Beef will hopefully be made up by those attending the State Sheep Show run in conjunction with the Blackall Show.
Secretary Holly Hawkes said Beef had made it difficult when trying to entice cattle product suppliers to join the show site.
Wallumbilla Show will proceed with their commercial and stud cattle competition on May 5. Kingaroy Show (May 5-6) will run its stud cattle and led steer/heifer competitions while Barcaldine Show will take place on the weekend of May 11 and 12.
Show dates are organised under the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies Inc. who maintain a planning guide for all affiliated shows for up to seven years in advance.
Formulas for the dates are provided by each show taking into account impacts of other events in the region to ensure maximum participation from competitors, entertainers and the Showmen’s Guild.
QCAS General Manager Karen Wolf said it was important for everybody to continue to support the shows despite Beef 2018.
“These shows rely on their communities to be involved and to turn up and it would be a great shame if that didn't happen,” she said.
“Then countless generations are going to miss out on what is a big fabric of rural life.”