The Winners of the 2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards, hosted by Queensland Ag Shows, were announced at a Celebration Dinner at Royal on the Park, Brisbane City on Saturday, 19 August 2023.
Lyndsey Douglas, Ekka Show Announcer commented upon meeting and congratulating Harrison and Brianna after being announced as the 2023 Winner and Runner Up respectively, “[The 2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards State Finalists] were ten of the finest examples of the next generation of agricultural leaders that I’ve ever met in one cohort, it was such a great group.”
2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Winner
- Harrison Lehman
- Representing the Central Highlands Sub Chamber & Alpha Show Society
Harrison is based in Alpha and works within a family beef cattle operation holding a Certificate III in Agriculture. Originally from Inverell, New South Wales, Harrison moved to Alpha to accept a managers role at a large property in the area. The captain of Alpha’s rugby league team, Harrison also holds the position of Vice President of the Alpha Rodeo and Campdraft Committee. Together with his partner, he organised the Stockman’s Challenge at the Alpha Show.
Harrison on being asked what the title means to him said “I don’t know if it has really sunk in yet, it is just a huge privilege. I went up against the nine most amazing people I think I’ve ever met in my life and any one of us could have been standing here and Queensland definitely would have been proud. But to come down here and represent Rural Australia and Queensland, is a huge privilege to all of us we really do have a strong passion for what we do and where we come from. Any chance we get to share with metropolitan areas about what we do and where we come from, we will give our everything.”
As the 2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards Winner, Harrison will represent Queensland at the National Rural Ambassador final to be held at the Royal Melbourne Show in 2024.
2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Runner Up
- Brianna Barron
- Representing the Darling Downs Sub Chamber & Cooyar Agricultural Society
Brianna works for Barron Bros Livestock, where she represents the next generation of this family cattle trading business. She completed a Certificate III in Agriculture and is an accredited certifier for cattle tick inspection. On a community level, she is the Cooyar Show Secretary a position she has held since 2019, Showgirl Coordinator and canteen coordinator. She is also a member of the Cooyar Campdraft Society and in 2021 acquired her second cattle property in the Cooyar area.
As the 2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards Runner Up, Brianna will travel to South Australia in early September 2024 to experience the Royal Adelaide Show by participating in a Rural Ambassador Exchange program, kindly hosted by South Australian Country Shows,
2023 Queensland Rural Ambassador Community Spirit Recipient
The Community Spirit Award is awarded to the person who displays the values and principles which align with the spirit and traditions of the Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards and the movement going forward.
- Matthew Petty
- Representing West Moreton & Brisbane Valley Sub Chamber & Marburg Show Society
Matthew owns and operates his business, Scenic Valley Contracting, specializing in general labouring, operation of civil and agricultural machinery, and domestic and rural maintenance services. Matthew is also very involved with his family farm and breeds his own stud cattle which he exhibits at local shows. The recipient of the Burnham Youth Award from the Brangus Society in 2017, in addition to exhibiting he has also judged cattle at a number of Ag Shows and assists with the prime cattle competition at the Ipswich Show.
About the Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards
The Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards identifies and celebrates young rural leaders, providing professional development opportunities and exposure to new networks. Run by Queensland Ag Shows since 2003, the Queensland Rural Ambassador Awards is a rural and agricultural leadership program for young people aged between 20 and 30 years of age. The role of a Rural Ambassador is to advocate for agriculture, represent rural communities and Queensland’s Agricultural Show Societies. The Awards provide an avenue for participants to become more involved with their local Agricultural Show and for these organisations to in turn recognise, celebrate and develop Queensland’s future community and agricultural industry leaders.
State finalists participate in a life-changing program focused on creating ambassadors who have skills, knowledge, networks and confidence to return to their communities and industries and assume leadership positions. We achieve this through our diverse program over five days at the Ekka.
Commencing with the Grand Parade, the program features dinners with dignitaries, Ag Tours, an immersive side show experience and professional development workshop, culminating in a once in a lifetime Ekka experience. The Queensland Rural Ambassador finalists are privileged to network with leaders from parliament, industry and the council of the RNA; meet with media and sponsors, and speak in the main ring in front of tens of thousands of Queenslanders.