A six-month-old camel stood tall among the dairy calves in the judging line and was led around the circuit by Tom Hukins of Tarraganda.

The camel was entered into the event by Geoff Cochrane of Nowra, who brought it to the Bega Show after capturing it in the Simpson Desert as a young calf. 

“I’m pretty confident it is the first time it has ever happened in the world,” Mr Cochrane said. 

Junior parading judge Phil Pittolo said this was a fair claim, but a hard one to prove. 

“In theory, it is meant to be a cow on show, but young Tom kept good control of the animal and presented it well to the judges, which is what we are looking for,” he said. 

“We had a bit of fun with it, it was a bit of theatre for the crowd.” 

Mr Cochrane captured his camel while working as a feral pest bounty hunter in the Simpson Desert. 

“I was combing an area of about two million acres on a nature reserve, looking for feral animals like pigs, goats and of course the camels,” he said.  

Using a four-wheeled motorbike, Mr Cochrane has camel-catching down to a fine art.

“The best way to catch a camel is by the tail,” he said. 

“You’ve got to chase them for a time to test which one is the fastest because that’s the one you want.

“Then you grab him by the tail, when you do he will swing to bite you but that’s when you can get a hold of him around the neck.” 

After taming the camel, Mr Cochrane brought it to the Bega Show alongside a heard of bullocks, a pony, a mule and another 18-month-old camel. 

“You gain a camel’s respect and trust by holding your face close to theirs and breathing into its nostrils,” he said. 

“It’s the same technique I use to tame my bullocks and horses, but it doesn’t work with humans.” 

Mr Cochrane also showed his team of a dozen bullocks at the Bega Show. 

As a sixth generation dairy farmer, he has a long history with animals and has mustered cattle through the Simpson Desert for eight years. 

“Every winter I lead them on a four day journey through the desert, just like it’s been done for hundreds of years,” Mr Cochrane said. 

His passion for animal husbandry is fueled by a desire to keep traditional country practices in the spotlight. 

“I have a bullock team because it keeps that history alive, some people have vintage cars, but I’ve got my herd,” he said. 

Mr Cochrane and his animals travel around a number of country shows in the South Coast region, including the Cobargo Show held the weekend before the Bega Show.