Where skills and stock meet – Tocal Beef Assessment Course 2025
In early December 2025, five Angus Foundation scholarship recipients — Zoe Puls, Claire Foster, Will Hadley, Dominic Edwards, and Sophie Halliday — attended the highly regarded 45th Tocal Beef Cattle Assessment Course, proudly run by the Angus NSW Committee. Over three intensive days at Tocal Agricultural College, nearly 70 participants immersed themselves in a wide-ranging hands-on skills development program, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s most valued beef education programs.
Participants engaged in comprehensive presentations, discussions on breeding and market objectives, and practical assessment sessions. These included fat and muscle evaluation, structural scoring, market compliance exercises, and breeding selection scenarios across commercial and seedstock settings, all designed to develop rapid, accurate decision-making.
The course also challenged participants to consider how cattle traits align with environmental conditions and market requirements.
Zoe Puls described this as a key learning moment. “Cows must suit the environment and bulls must suit the market. It’s a simple concept, but one that completely changes how you assess breeding decisions”, she said.
Practical exercises in evaluating structural correctness, condition, and maturity patterns reinforced the importance of combining instinct with data-driven decision-making. Hands-on yard sessions were a highlight, giving participants immediate feedback from overjudges and industry experts.
Dominic Edwards explained, “Working directly with cattle, completing live assessments, and receiving real-time feedback helped turn theoretical knowledge into practical understanding.”
Beyond technical training, the program fostered networking and mentoring. Will Hadley highlighted the value of collaboration, saying it added depth to the learning experience and provided an incredible opportunity to gain hands-on skills, make informed decisions, and connect with industry professionals.
Zoe Puls reflected, saying that “Gaining a deeper understanding of how on-farm decisions directly influence eating quality and market outcomes was incredibly valuable.
Claire summed up the collaborative environment. “The more you put in, the more you get out of the course… ask lots of questions, talk with your peers and overjudges about their experiences. You won’t regret it.’
For many, the course strengthened confidence in decision-making and reinforced the value of patience. Zoe noted “Quality decisions matter more than rushing. It’s better to wait for the right animal than compromise.”
Sophie Halliday emphasised the balance between theory and practice, saying ‘The program delivered an excellent mix of theory, practical judging, and collaborative discussion… ensuring the learning was both intensive and immediately applicable.’
Natt Hann of Nampara Pastoral Company, Lucindale SA, reflected that “The well-run program, combined with cattle assessment of live animals across a range of scenarios, allows participants to ‘get their eye in’, really ‘see’ the cattle and fine-tune their selection parameters.”
Natt’s skill across the program saw her finish as the highest-placed participant overall, topping a points-based judging system spanning more than 14 classes.
The Tocal Beef Cattle Assessment Course owes its success to the numerous people who commit to volunteering their time and livestock to the event, many of whom do so year after year.
Facilitator Jake Phillips of Angus Australia said “It’s a pleasure to assist in delivering the Tocal Beef Assessment School each year. We simply would not be able to do it without the support of our volunteers like James and Jack Laurie, Steve Chase, Bob Dent and particularly Bryce Whale who act as our overjudges, and the contributions of Leanne Stuart and John Collinson are invaluable.”
He also acknowledged the studs who supplied cattle. “We must also acknowledge those studs that brought us a cross-section of cattle to utilise, such as Knowla Livestock, Boambee Angus and Urban Angus.”
The School’s collaborative nature extends beyond formal sessions. The social component remains one of its greatest strengths, with lively evening conversations extending the learning and encouraging open discussions about challenges, ideas, and opportunities across the beef industry.
Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright added his support for how well the event was run and the learnings participants took away. “I am delighted the participants rated it greater than 9/10 for how valuable they found the 2025 Tocal Beef Assessment School to be, and how likely they said they are to adopt new practices by attending.
It is a privilege for the Angus breed to be associated with such a long-running well-respected event, and I congratulate Angus New South Wales on another successful course at the iconic Tocal College. I also extend my gratitude to supporters of the Angus Foundation who made the scholarship opportunities available to Claire, Will, Zoe, Sophie, and Dominic” said Scott.
