Meet the Cooma local who just won Australia’s premier young sheep judging award

New South Wales might have lost the 2025 State of Origin, but it has scored another interstate accolade thanks to Cooma’s Miranda McGufficke, who has been crowned the winner of the prestigious 2025 Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA) Meat Breed Sheep Young Judges Competition in the sheep category.

The national final brought together six of Australia’s most talented young sheep judges, aged 15 to 25, in a hotly contested showdown at the 2025 Royal Adelaide Show.

Sheep judges are tasked with evaluating animals in competitions and sales based on structure, muscle development, fleece quality, and overall presentation. 

In a judging competition such as this, competitors are scored on accuracy, ability to compare exhibits, speaking ability, and presentation and dress, among other things. 

At this year’s national finals on September 5, competitors assessed White Suffolk ewes and Border Leicester rams.

According to ASA, all entrants showcased “exceptional knowledge and expertise,” guided by experienced judges Emily Davidson of Morton Poll Dorsets and Border Leicesters (rams), and Troy Fischer of Ashmore White Suffolks and UltraWhites (ewes).

In the end, 24-year-old McGufficke claimed top honours, ahead of Jacob Scales (19, Robe, South Australia) and Emma Haupt (19, South Brisbane, Queensland).

McGufficke manages genomic data for her family's feedstock business, and currently works on a remote NT cattle station as part of a graduate program with an agricultural investment group. She recently completed a Bachelor of Animal Science at the University of New England.

Her win at the National Finals is a culmination of all of that experience as well as a lifelong love of agricultural shows, which has also seen her participate in cooking, wool, and art exhibits.

“It has been a long journey and something that I’ve had a lot of support with over the duration, from school to uni,” McGufficke said. “This award signifies the hard work that’s been put in, not just by me, but by a lot of people that have supported me to get here.”

McGufficke added that the event was as much about personal development as it was about sheep judging.

“It’s more than just judging animals and learning about ag,” she explained. “It’s the personal development and the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. That’s the main thing I’ve gotten from this competition.”

Other categories in the ASA National Finals for Young Judges and Paraders included Beef Cattle, Poultry, Merino Sheep, Merino Fleece, Dairy Cattle, and Grain Young. 

McGufficke also picked up a second place in the Merion Fleece Judges competition, but Victoria dominated overall with five wins from nine categories. 

Australian White Suffolk Association (AWSA) president and 1996 event winner Peter Angus said competitions like this are vital for the future of the livestock industry.

“Encouraging youth involvement and providing learning and developmental opportunities is very important to create a succession plan for future judges and industry leaders,” he said. “We support programs that encourage youth participation, education and networking to upskill and build confidence among young people with a keen interest in the sheep industry.”

Agricultural Shows Australia chair Jacqueline Wilson-Smith echoed the sentiment, praising the calibre of this year’s finalists.

“These young people represent the future of our agricultural show competitions, which play a vital role in advancing Australia’s food and fibre industries,” she said.

The 2026 National Finals will take place at Ekka (Royal Queensland Show) in Brisbane.