Beef cattle judging could be described as an unusual hobby but it’s one Graham Williams has thoroughly enjoyed for many years.
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He has judged throughout the country and in New Zealand including adjudicating at three Sydney Royals.
Ask him why he likes to undertake the task and he’ll laugh. “If you asked my wife the same question she would reply it’s because I like to hold a microphone,” he said.
“But really I just love judging, it’s something I have done for more than 30 years and I guess it’s my hobby,” he said.
“The best part about the job is the people you meet and the cattle you get to judge – they are the best in the breed and the people involved are very committed to the industry.
“It also allows you to travel around the country and learn so much about cattle breeding and production.”
Mr Williams is currently the manager of Drury Stockfeeds in Taree, a position he has held for 30 months.
His family have an 80-hectare farm on Jones Island where they run the Willox Poll Hereford stud.
His daughters Shannon and Jade also operate a small Poll Hereford stud, Shanja, and Mr Williams is particularly proud of Shannon’s judging prowess.
“She has accompanied me on many judging assignments in the past couple of years and she has a real talent for the ring and that is great to see,” he said.
“These days I often say when people ask me to judge ‘how about asking Shannon’? She is young and keen and a thorough professional.
"And with so many school children involved in the beef industry, I am sure they would prefer to hear from Shannon [rather] than an oldie like me.”
Mr Williams grew up at Oberon on the Jocelyn Poll Hereford stud, which was a family operation.
“My daughters are the fourth generation of the Williams family to be involved with Poll Herefords,” he said.
Mr Williams, like many whiteface breeders, has witnessed in the past two decades the explosion in demand for Angus cattle.
“Where once we would see sales dominated by whiteface bulls now it’s all Angus,” he said.
“Even overseas all you see is Angus steakhouses and Angus burgers for sale and people in those countries, like many people in the city here, would not know an Angus from a Poll Hereford.”
A former board member of the Poll Hereford Society Mr Williams would love to see his breed get its marketing act together.
“It’s all about marketing these days and whiteface breeders are missing out all the time because we haven’t got our marketing right,” he said.
