A Grand Day for a Grand Parade

His hands are sweaty from the heat… and from nerves. Today, Timothy is leading his Hereford cow by himself in the Grand Parade! He’s been working with cattle for a while now and is comfortable leading a cow around the ring, that’s not why he’s nervous. It’s the emotion of the moment. Last year, he walked the parade with his Dad, but he’s leading his own bull this year and has entrusted Timothy to lead his cow. In fact, his Dad was about Timothy's same age the first year he paraded a bull in the Grand Parade at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, and his father before him. It’s a generational, family tradition. Timothy’s family has been raising cattle in southern NSW, for over a hundred years. He feels the weight of tradition and family pride on his shoulders, and he is as excited as he is nervous.

The Grand Parade has been a crowd favourite at the Show since 1907, and every year the Main Arena is filled with Showgoers and animals—everything from the massive bulls competing in cattle competitions, to goats, the majestic horses and these days even alpaca.

This year the full stadium of Showgoers will witness Timothy’s first parade with his own cow—the emerging of the next generation of NSW cattle farmers staking their place at the Easter Show.

Every person parading an animal in the Grand Parade is part of a long line of family tradition, they’ve travelled from regional areas and from the outskirts of the state, just to bring their very best to the Show. Now Timothy is part of that tradition. You should be there at the Grand Parade to see their best-of-the-best. Keep your eye out for the next generation and be sure to give them a wave of encouragement!

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