Agricultural Shows Australia held the prestigious national finals yesterday of the Poultry Young Judges competition, hosted by South Australian Country Shows at the Royal Adelaide Show.
Champion Josh Hancock, 20, from Merbein, comes from four generations of agricultural show involvement.
During the week he works in shed construction but come the weekend, he shows under the name ‘Ducknuts Waterfowl’ and is a provisional judge on the Victorian Poultry Judges list.
“I started competing in the Young Judges in 2023 when I was asked by several highly respected people in the Victorian poultry world to have a go because they said I would gain a lot from the experience. Having shown birds for most of my life, it was the next step. From this, I have now done my judging assessment for waterfowl and gained confidence in public speaking,” Josh said.
“It feels amazing to make my parents proud after all the effort that they have put into my showing. It is such an honour to be named the national champion of young judges in the poultry section.”
Held in a different part of Australia each year, Jacqueline Wilson-Smith, Chair of Agricultural Shows Australia said the National Championships showcase agricultural excellence, boost the industry, and shine a light on outstanding achievements.
Championship Judge Brian Bennett with Champion Josh Hancock
Images: Agricultural Shows Australia
