Tocal College agriculture and stock horse students have put their abilities and knowledge to the test at the annual AgSkills Challenge and Stock Horse Breaker Challenge.
The events were the culmination of each first year, fulltime course, at the CB Alexander Campus, located at Paterson in the Hunter Valley. The campus is part of the Tocal Agricultural Centre—a Centre of Excellence within NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD).
Tocal College Deputy Principal James Hooke said all participating students should be very proud of how well they performed and noted the hands-on experience they gained throughout the course will be invaluable during their agricultural careers.
"The main purpose of the event was to reassure students of their ability, and to allow a sense of achievement by recognising their self-improvement over the year," Mr Hooke said.
"The high standard expected was valuable preparation for each student's entry into the workplace, or their continuation into the second year, Certificate IV in Agriculture (AHC40122) course.
"Once again the results showed that success is unrelated to age, gender, or previous farm experience with many students surprising themselves by how well they had achieved."
The AgSkills Challenge is a great way to recognise the intensive training in practical farm skills during the Certificate III in Agriculture (AHC30122) course.
Students first underwent intensive revision of critical farm tasks including beef and sheep stockwork, machinery operation (tractors, quads, bikes, and side-by-sides), horse handling and riding, dairy operation, plant identification, chainsaws, and fencing.
They then competed for placings and prizes based on a combination of safety, performance, and efficiency. Thanks to the support of generous sponsors the prizes included chainsaws, tool kits, fencing gear and farm butchery kits.
In the AgSkills Challenge Jasper Anderson from Wilberforce, NSW, won overall first place, while Chloe West from Stockrington came second. Alyvia Lieb from East Seaham placed third.
Meanwhile in the Stock Horse Breaker Challenge, Certificate III in Horse Care (ACM 30821) students took hold of the reins to show case the performance of their much-loved 'breakers'.
While the online Approved Australian Stock Horse Sale held earlier in the year is the pinnacle of what successive students can achieve with older horses, the Challenge is a more personal journey of student and their younger horse.
Both the set course and freestyle sections provided the perfect opportunity for rider and mount to demonstrate the array of horse education skills they developed during the year.
"It is always a special day on the calendar as students present their skills to family and friends and demonstrate what they have achieved in the Tocal Stock Horse Breeding and Training Program," said Coordinator, Simone Harvey.
"Preparation for the Challenge helps students acquire the knowledge and skills to obtain their qualification.
"Students also carry what they have learnt during the horse starting program into their future careers in the agricultural and equine industries."
The highlight is the Challenge main event, a combination of dry work patterns and a utility section which includes navigating obstacles such as opening gates, handling feet, cracking whips over horses, and loading onto a float. The day also includes a Freestyle section, and Best Presented.
Alyssa Coates from Murwillumbah was the overall Challenge Champion and achieved top aggregate score.
Mia Woodbine from Seaham was the aggregate winner for the Stock Horse and Foal Handling challenges (an event held earlier in the course).
Throughout the year students underwent an extensive groundwork program with their horses to develop the animal's confidence and accustom them to perform under saddle. This included body control, softness in the headstall, mouthing, long reining, desensitisation exercises and negotiating obstacles.
Once students began riding breakers under saddle they worked on the fundamentals of steering, stopping, backing up, travel, collection, turn arounds and responding to leg, rein and seat aids in preparation for the Stock Horse Breaker Challenge.
This year the College was honoured to have exceptional horsewoman, competitor and clinician Vicki Evans judge the day. Vicki is highly accomplished, and her resume includes the Australian Stock Horse Classes at the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Visit the Tocal College Facebook page to see the full results from the 2025 AgSkills Challenge and the Stock Horse Breaker Challenge.
