Ready to show: Ava, Harry and Max Fisher are supporting brother Cooper, pictured with heifer Plum, who is stepping out into the ring for the first time at International Dairy Week next week.
International Dairy Week can't come fast enough for Cooper Fisher.
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At nine years old, he can finally hit the show ring with his 10-month-old heifer Quality Ridge Radio Plum.
Plum comes from a long line of excellent cows — her dam is an EX90 Fever while her grand dam Ashbury Leader Plum is an EX94 7E cow. Ashbury Leader Plum has just earnt herself what the Fisher family is hoping will be a long and happy retirement, after turning 18 last year.
Cooper, 9, is the eldest son of Bec and Jayke Fisher from Quality Ridge Holsteins at Kyabram.
The family has a long history of showing cattle at IDW, and Mr and Mrs Fisher are excited that Cooper can finally step out into the ring and really get amongst it — and siblings Max 5, Harry 4 and Ava 3, won’t be to far behind him, either, as they all share a love of cows.
For the past few months Cooper has been busy getting Plum ready after school, practising his leading skills and walking her around the driveway.
“It is lots of fun but it is a lot of hard work getting used to the cow. I practise every night and I like to help clip the cows,” Cooper said.
Cooper had a practice run at the Rochester show last year and is eagerly awaiting IDW 2022.
Mr and Mrs Fisher are also looking forward to IDW after the break last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“It was good to have a rest and we had a great summer away from showing, but it will be nice to catch up with everyone again at IDW,” Mrs Fisher said.
She is looking forward to seeing how the event goes this year under new management.
“There are a couple of new initiatives this year which includes showing the heifers the night before the milkers, which will be a real positive and should stop the day being quite so long.
“IDW is always about the cows and I don't think there are too many things that really need improving with the event.”
Mrs Fisher said it was always a long lead-up to IDW, preparing the team and getting everything ready.
“Cooper has been counting down the years until he could get out in the ring, and it’s so rewarding to see the kids taking part in something that is our passion becoming theirs as well,” she said.
Mr and Mrs Fisher are passionate about the dairy industry and after plenty of hard work they have just ticked over 12 months on the new dairy farm they purchased in October 2020.
The 60ha farm is perfect for the 160-head Quality Ridge herd.
“We don't want to push things and make everything hard, we are happy to just plod along and keep things as simple and as easy as we can,” Mrs Fisher said.
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