Laura Poole with the Winter Fair Reserve Youth Junior Champion, Melaleuca Imagine Dharma. Photo: Fiona Hanks.
Laura Poole has been attending the Victorian Winter Fair for the past three years.
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This year her persistence and hard work was rewarded when the 14-year-old was announced the Youth Excellence Award winner for 2025 at the Bendigo event.
“It was unbelievable and a big shock to win,” Laura, from Pyramid Hill, said.
“The Winter Fair is great and I have learnt so much over the years from the junior competitions.
“Located where we are, it is an easy show to get to and you only have to go up to any of the exhibitors and ask a question and you get an answer — everyone is really friendly and happy to share their knowledge with you.
“Everyone is just so encouraging,” Laura said.
Laura has been attending dairy shows including International Dairy Week for a few years now.
This year she attended the youth dairy camp at Noorat where she joined around 50 other young people from across Victoria and South Australia to get a taste of all things dairy (the camp was revived last year after a three-year hiatus).
Laura recently started her own registered herd – Ottreys Bridge Holsteins.
She might only have one heifer so far, but it’s a good one – Melaleuca Imagine Dharma, a heifer she brought from Brad and Janelle Sommerville of Melaleuca Holsteins.
Dharma had a successful Winter Fair too, and was declared the Reserve Youth Junior Champion.
Laura said Dharma was a very patient heifer, with clean dairy lines.
“She is a really nice heifer to work with, and as the years go by, I hope to learn more and get at improving my skills with the heifers and cows,” she said.
Laura Poole at the 2025 Winter Fair in Bendigo with Melaleuca Imagine Dharma. Photo: Fiona Hanks.
She lists some of her mentors as Jon Holland, Emily Robins and Brad Sommerville, and there have been many others from the North West Sub Branch who have been encouraging as there is a strong focus on the next generation.
Laura is on the lookout for another heifer to add to her herd and she is looking forward to building up stud numbers over the years.
“I just love working with cows and it is a really good place to be,” Laura said.
Parents David and Yvonne farm a commercial milking herd at Pyramid Hill and they are supportive and encouraging of Laura’s dream to register cattle.
David said he and Laura had a conversation about the dairy farm when she was just eight years old.
“I said I was going to retire from dairying at 55 and Laura said who is going to milk the cows then?
“She has been very keen ever since,” David said.
Laura helps in various activities around the dairy and David describes her as a natural stock woman.
“She spent a lot of time working with Dharma, breaking her in and washing and clipping her and tending to her daily”.
He said the dairy industry was full of great people who were mentoring Laura and sharing their knowledge.
“We took Dharma to Gorbro Holsteins to assist with the final prep for the show and they did a really great job with her. Glen in particular, has been a great support.
“This side of dairying is pretty new to us and we are all learning a lot,” David said.
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