Territory teens to represent NT at national championships
Two young Northern Territory women will make their mark in the cattle ring at this year’s Ekka.
Alyssa Harris, 17, from Humpty Doo will compete in the young beef cattle paraders. Nicole Wilson, 17, from Katherine will compete in the beef cattle young judges. Both events are held on Friday, August 7.
The 2026 Agricultural Shows Australia’s National Young Judges and Paraders Championships will run from 6-10 August 2026 at the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka).
The prestigious competition includes paraders of beef and dairy cattle, young judges of beef and dairy cattle, grain, Merino sheep and fleece, meat breeds sheep, and poultry, the Australian Young Farmers Challenge, and National Rural Ambassador Award.
Qualification is via success in competitive regional and state competitions. The national championships are held in a different location each year. This year’s competition is hosted by Queensland Ag Shows.
Alyssa Harris, 17, Humpty Doo | Beef Cattle Paraders
Alyssa Harris first stepped into the show ring last year while completing a Certificate II in Agriculture and quickly found success through local competitions.
“I started competing through my agriculture course and I’m just excited to see where this can take me in the future,” Alyssa said.
Alongside completing Year 12 and a Certificate III in Agriculture, Alyssa is also running an animal mixing business, balancing study, work and competition preparation. She’s keen on a career in agriculture and hopes to either work on a station or study veterinary medicine in the future.
Agricultural training and mentorship have played a major role in building confidence and skills in the ring.
“My agriculture courses and especially my trainers Sarah and Bec have meant a lot,” Alyssa said. “They’ve really helped me get to this point.”
The Ekka has long been on the bucket list for Alyssa,
“I’ve seen lots of videos and it looks like such an interesting place,” Alyssa said. “I’m really looking forward to being there.”
About the Beef Cattle Paraders Competition
The Beef Cattle Paraders competition gives young people hands-on experience handling and presenting cattle in the show ring, while building confidence and industry connections.
For many competitors, it’s also a pathway into future careers in the beef industry and wider agricultural show circuit.
“Paraders have one hour to familiarise themselves with and prepare their allocated animal, before presenting it in the ring,” Jacqueline Wilson-Smith, Chair of Agricultural Shows Australia, said.“”They walk clockwise with the animal, using a show cane for direction, and must position the cattle to showcase its best features when the judge signals to stop. Judges assess presentation quality, handling confidence, and knowledge of the animal, even swapping cattle between competitors to test their adaptability. It’s a complete test – can you prepare an animal professionally and then present it with poise while answering questions about breed, age, and weight?”
Nicole Wilson, 17, Katherine |Beef Cattle Young Judges
Nicole Wilson is in Year 11 at Katherine High School and completing a Certificate III in Rural Operations through Katherine Rural College. She works part-time at the Katherine Club after school.
Nicole became involved with showing cattle while completing her Certificate II in Agriculture through Katherine Rural College.
Her first show experience came at the Katherine Show in 2025, before progressing to the Darwin Show where she claimed first place in cattle judging and secured her place at the national finals at the Ekka.
“I had a lot of doubts at first whether or not I’d make it, so it was a really big surprise when they announced my name,” Nicole said.
“Seeing my lecturers’ faces when I won was probably the best part.”
Agriculture quickly became a major passion after being introduced to competitions through a close friend and the rural college program.
“My best friend Willow Brennan got me involved and my lecturers Toni Wuersching and Zara McCarthy have helped me a lot along the way,” Nicole said.
Although she only started competing last year, the experience has already helped build confidence and pursue a career in the cattle industry.
“In five years’ time I’d hopefully like to still be working with cattle,” Nicole said.
About the Beef Cattle Young Judges Competition
Competitors judge three classes; bulls and females, ranking four animals in each class from first to fourth.
“The real challenge comes in the oral presentation, where they have just two minutes to explain their decisions through comparison and accurate observation” Jacqueline said.
Sponsors:
- Beef Cattle Young Judges: Vytelle; The Cattle Shop
- Beef Cattle Young Paraders: Cattle Australia; The Cattle Shop