Richmond Valley Notes

with Therese Schier

Casino Beef Week wraps up

Casino Beef Week is over for another year and congratulations go to the committee, the administration team, exhibitors, event coordinators and of course the community and visitors who all contributed to another great festival.

Here's a snippet on a few events.

Miss Casino Beef Week 2004

This year's Miss Casino Beef Week is Karen Trustum, a 17-year-old student at Dalby Agriculture College and former Mummulgum girl who represented the Brahman breed.

Tears flowed as Karen accepted the title from last year's winner, Stacey Clarke.

"It was a surprise," Karen said. "I thought I was too young."

Karen hopes to study genetics and work with the cows she so loves when she completes her studies. In fact, Karen revealed she would rather be with cows than go to a party!

"You get much more out of cows than people," she said. Karen said she tries to 'tune into' her cows."If you treat them with respect, they'll respect you."

Karen, whose family runs the Janeil Brahman stud at Mummulgum, wants to be a good ambassador for Casino Beef Week in the year ahead.

With the energy and dedication she showed during the week we are sure she will succeed.

Draught horse field day

Mick Bradford hails from Yan Gang near Warrick in Queensland and his family has been in the carting business since the 1850s. Mick's eight-horse team attracted much attention at the draught horse field day on Sunday.

"My great, great grandfather had bullock teams and later generations had steam engines pulling three or four wagons, and solid tyre trucks," Mick said. "It's just in my blood."

Other highlights of the day included Lyall Parkinson's famous camp oven damper and stew and the all-whip-cracking-uni-cycle-riding of young Bill Roach.

Carcass Judging

Vegetarians - stop reading now!

This journalist attended her very first Beef Week carcass judging competition to find out more about the story of 'hoof to hook' and found the exercise very informative.

Due to stringent health regulations the presentation of prizes to the owner/breeder of the champion carcass took place for the second year in the Casino RSM Club, a slightly warmer atmosphere than the chill room at the Northern Co-Operative Meat Company where it's previously been held. Bill Hoffman from NSW Agriculture presented an informative session accompanied by slides of the winning carcass (positioned somewhat poignantly beside the live animal!)

The competition provides crucial feedback for breeders to monitor the "breeding and feeding" of their cattle. It also gives them a guide on what the export market, butchers, restaurateurs, and of course the eating public, require in a good cut of meat.

"Breeders can compare how their cattle are going from year to year," Mr Hoffman told the audience.

And the winner of the Grand Champion Carcass for 2004... a Charolais/Angus cross steer bred by Greg and Leonie from Grenell Cottage, Bowmans Creek, Singleton. Proud parents (of the breeders, not the steer), Allan and Joan Ball, accepted the trophy on behalf of their son and daughter-in-law.

"It's the second year in a row they have won Grand Champion," Mr Ball said. "They breed their own cattle for export and use Beef Week as a tool for improvement - under my guidance," he quickly added.

Champion school, also for the second year in a row, was St John's College Dubbo.

With the trophies presented and the Beef Week raffle drawn, Miss Casino Beef Week officially declared Beef Week 2004 closed. Only 358 sleeps till Beef Week 2005!

Train rides again

On Sunday, June 13, the Pacific Coast Railway Society is offering people the opportunity to have a ride on one of the old rail motors that once ran the same route as the 'The Mountain Goat' train between Old Casino station and the Border Loop.

An early version of a self-propelled train, the rail motor provided a vital community service and a lifeline to all the towns and people in the area. In the words of the poem 'The Passing Of The Goat', the rail motor was used "to carry the mail, and feed the folk up Grady's creek, come thunder, rain or hail."

The rail motor will do two trips between Casino and Kyogle, the first departing Casino at 1.30pm and arriving at Kyogle at 2.05pm. It will return to Casino at 2.50pm. The second trip will depart Casino at 3.10pm, arrive at Kyogle at 3.45pm and return to Casino at 4.30pm.The train only holds 80 people and if last year's visit of the 3801 steam locomotive is any gauge of the popularity of old rail travel then these tickets won't last long.

Tickets are only available from the North Casino Mini Rail station (near Casino Golf Course) between 10am and 4pm on Sundays. Bookings can also made with the Pacific Coast Railway Society on 6662 7923.

Please feel free to contact Therese with any Richmond Valley news, events, or story ideas, at or Ph: 6662 7735, or fax: 6662 2811.