COMING off a farm at Barham, 14-year-old Hunter Toohey is at school in Ballarat studying as hard as he can to get back there as fast as he can.
At the weekend he was on a mate’s property outside Ararat trying to help thin the local fox population before heading back to the boarding house on Sunday night.
Where he and other ag enthusiasts have been busy stamping their mark on the show circuit – their most recent win at Hamilton Sheepvention where they collected ribbons for senior champion Corriedale ram and ewe.
“On our farm we have Angus, a mix of Merino, Dorper and crossbred sheep and goats and I love the cattle,” Hunter said.
“But at school, where we have Lowline Angus, you aren’t allowed to work with them until the end of Year 10.
“But I am pretty happy doing things with the sheep, we have to get to three or four shows each in a year and so far I have also done the Australian Wool and Sheep Show at Bendigo (where the school came home with the supreme champion Corriedale, which was also their grand champion ewe, as well as a swag of other ribbons, including champion ewe and lambs) and will be going to the Melbourne Royal next.
“That will be a first for me, and after that I think my fourth one will be Clunes.”
Ballarat Grammar’s farm covers about 50 hectares and is used by around 200 students per year – including Hunter and his classmates who have been taking their Corriedales around the state.
The school targets around eight sheep shows each year with a team from its Corriedale stud – handpicking the best dual-purpose sheep it has to offer.
“I prefer cattle any day although I am happy going to all the sheep shows, it gets you outside and you get to do farm things and that’s what I like doing best,” Hunter added.
“So I am enjoying working with the sheep and on the farm and as I don’t get home much during the year having a farm at school and being part of that is really good.
“Our farm is run by dad and mum (Dave and Stephanie) and some helpers and although I have three brothers and a sister there is plenty of work for us all there.
“So that’s where I plan to head when I have finished with school.”
Hunter explained any students can work with the sheep at Ballarat but said “the older students tend to leave the showing to us Year 9s and a couple of Year 10s”.
“At Hamilton we got involved in the practice shearing but at school we don’t do that, although we are responsible for the hoof trimming and foot paring and our Corriedales really are good for both their wool and as a meat sheep,” he said.
Hunter said ag is an elective for half of each school year – he has been in Ballarat since 2023 – and he is at the farm after school late every Monday and Wednesday afternoon as well as a bigger slice of each Tuesday for ag classes.
Then he said he also has to fit in footy training and matches, where he plays mostly on the wing and half forward flank, and admits he’s having more wins in the showring than on the footy ground this season.
But with all that on his schedule, he probably needs to go to school just to get a break.
“Next year I will choose ag again as an elective, and maybe look at metal work, or even sports science,” Hunter said.
“This year my other elective was geography, which was good – but it doesn’t get you out on the farm,” he grinned.
Hunter has also been excited to also get a welding apprenticeship, which he will start next year two days a week through TAFE Ballarat as part of his overall school program and also starts his Cert 1 in Agriculture next year.
And the big plan before he gets back to the family farm – as soon as he finishes in Ballarat he is heading north to the station country as a ringer for more experience.
Where there is so much cattle he probably won’t know which way to look.
