The students attended shows in Kangaroo Valley, Canberra, Robertson, Camden and Hawkesbury in the lead up to the big one in Sydney, where an Angus steer named “Muster” won the silver medal in the school section, with a huge 87.5 points.

This helped the team claim a top prize for their efforts, the coveted Noel Williams Shield.

The college is very grateful to the Halliday family who gifted ‘Muster’ to the Chev Show Team and offered to look after the steers for the days the students couldn’t be at the show.

Show Team co-ordinator Hayley Mahoney said the beds were immaculate and the cattle were washed every day.

“They also did other things like take them to the weighing and scanning, while looking after their own head of cattle,” she said.

Muster’s amazing score at the Sydney Royal – judged among 50 steers from schools all over the state – was in the Pure Bred Steer and Carcase Competition.

This steer also collected the Angus Carcase Exhibit awarded to a steer over 85 points.

Students from Elizabeth Macarthur High School also pitched in to help out when the Chevalier College students weren’t able to be there.

“In reality, we would not have been able to compete at the show without their assistance in minding the stock, so it is truly appreciated” Hayley said.

In the open section, of about 150 steers, a ‘square meater’ steer named “Rambo” was a bronze medalist with 80.5 points. A third steer the team prepared for another stud got 80 points – only half a point off a bronze. 

Hayley said these were fantastic results for the Chevalier College students who worked non-stop at the shows keeping their areas neat and tidy and preparing and caring for the animals.

“The Chev students did long days and there was not one complaint when we left Bowral at 3am on a Sunday to load by 5am,” she said.

At a special event held at the college on May 22, Richard Buck from Angus Australia presented the Noel Williams Shield to the Chevalier College Show Team on behalf of the Royal Agriculture Society.

It comes with a cash prize of $200 and the Noel Williams Perpetual Trophy, all sponsored by Reiland Angus Stud in Gundagai.

The trophy and shield are now proudly on display in the college library until December 2017.

In her acceptance speech on behalf of the team, Sophie Halliday thanked Mr Buck for travelling down from Sydney to present the award and thanked the show team’s teacher Hayley Mahoney for taking them to the shows this season.

The college was pleased to welcome Bronwyn Halliday to this event, for without the Halliday family’s generous gift of Muster to the college, none of this could have been achieved by the Chev Show Team.