The 2022 SA Junior Heifer Expo senior champion herdsperson Phoebe Eckermann says the North American study tour she won has not only broadened her horizons but inspired her to "push for another level of excellence".
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The young Limousin breeder from Korunye-who returned late last month- spent nearly five months travelling across Canada and the United States, gaining a great insight into their beef industry.
In that time she worked at six major shows - Farm Fair and Agribition in Canada and, Denver National Western Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, San Antonio and Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
She also visited many studs and attended the Louisiana Cattleman's Conference.
Ms Eckermann says it was a big eye opener to see the huge scale of their industry and just how big a business preparing cattle for the show ring is.
"They had so much more hair to work with and would have one person working on each leg of an animal getting it ready," she said.
"It was amazing to see their 4H youth program which is equivalent of steers to us and see 1000 young people showing off their animals and then having them auctioned off for scholarship money."
There were many more Limflex being shown than purebred Limousins but she says it was terrific to visit studs from which her family's Aruma stud had used bloodlines including Greenwood Cattle and Paynes Livestock, both in Saskatchewan.
She also found potential sires and dams which she hopes to be able to purchase genetic packages in.
"Their cattle are as early maturing as ours and had really good growth at a young age, they were also really deep bodied animals," she said.
One area of interest she was keen to learn more about was their agricultural education.
She enjoyed chatting to educators at some of the major shows and looking at the interactive displays including one at Agribition showing how to pull a calf.
Many producers were marketing their own branded beef and helping promote their industry to consumers -something which she believes will only grow in Australia too.
"They are putting a lot of effort into telling the story of the ranchers," she said.
Among the highlights in Ms Eckermann's trip of a lifetime were visiting 44 Farms in Texas in the week prior to their February sale.
"They hold four sales throughout the year and in the first 300 bulls in the February auction there was not one under US$7000," she said.
In that sale 44 Farms sold 545 bulls for a US$9763 average.
"They also sell their own beef and have a retail store in Texas which has cars lined up around Christmas time," she said.
She also enjoyed a true Western experience at Heart Brand Akaushi (Red Wagyu) at Harwood also in Texas bringing in feeder steers on horseback and learning more about their buyback program.
Within a week of her return to Australia she was at the Sydney Royal Easter Show where was part of a team which helped fit and parade 20 cattle.
She is also busy preparing two of her Limousin heifers for the breed's National Show & Sale in Holbrook, NSW, next week.
Ms Eckermann says she is still working out the next step in her ag career but is so grateful for the life changing opportunity the Expo provided.
"Their industry is so huge, it was great to see it but now I want to go and work for a few places around Australia and see what we are doing here," she said.
"I really want to keep producing cattle to a high standard and I am excited to be able to go back to the Heifer Expo and help inspire the next generation "
