Young shepherd to represent NZ

Mount Linton Station shepherd Allen Gregory with some of the station's Angus cows and calves. Photo / Nicole Sharp

A passion for Angus cattle has seen Mount Linton Station shepherd Allen Gregory selected to attend the World Angus Forum in Scotland.

Originally from Gore, Mr Gregory is one of eight young Angus enthusiasts who will travel to the forum later this year, representing New Zealand.

Last year, 12 people took part in the selection day run by Generation Angus.

"It was a mixture of theory and practical. We did some showing and some judging and we also had to write an essay," he said.

The eight selected in the two New Zealand teams will compete in the youth competition run by the World Angus Forum.

Finding out he had been selected in the team, Mr Gregory was thrilled.

"I was pretty stoked. I wasn't sure I'd be selected - it was pretty tough. Any of the 12 could have gone."

Mr Gregory will spend 10 days competing against teams from around the world, with the best of each country's Angus youth going head to head.Mr Gregory's first experience with Angus cattle came when he attended the Canterbury A&P Show when he was 15.

"I was at Canterbury show doing a junior judging competition. I know one of the Angus breeders, Rob Hall, and we were talking. He got me to help him show his Angus," he said.

For three years he showed cattle for Mr Hall before heading to Lincoln University to study for a bachelor of agricultural science, which he received with honours.

"My honours project looked at beef cow efficiency," Mr Gregory said.

While at university, he also took part in beef programmes, which helped him establish contacts in the industry, he said.

It evolved to references, which helped him secure his first post-university job at Mount Linton.Mr Gregory started at the station at the end of 2015 as a genetics intern.

"The stud stuff was a drawcard - I still have an interest in that sort of thing" he said.

He has been involved with Generation Angus for the past six years and on the committee for the past 18 months.

"A lot of the activities we run capture the commercial market. It's not all about showing, it's more about development."

Mr Gregory signed up with Generation Angus because of the networking factor, but he had also been lucky to be selected to go on an exchange to Australia.

"I spent six weeks travelling round Australia, looking at commercial operations and stud cattle."

As well as preparing to head to Scotland, Mr Gregory has also had his head in the books as he prepares for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Otago/Southland Regional Final next month.

The only other South Islander selected in the Generation Angus' teams event is Marie Timperley, of Oxford.

The two Generation Angus teams will travel to Britain at the end of June.