Media Release
8th September 2025
116 years ago in Central Victoria, Howard Yelland began weighing cattle, recording and making selection decisions based on the performance results he obtained. Information based on measurement was the basis for the mating program decisions he made within his herd.
Each year, Howard Yelland, our industry’s champion of objective measurement and performance recording for improved selection in the Australian Beef Industry, is remembered with the presentation of the Howard Yelland Award to worthy recipients. There have been 39 recipients since its inception in 1987.
The Australian Beef Industry Foundation and Marcus Oldham College are proud to present the 2024 and 40th Howard Yelland Award to John Carter. It recognises his outstanding contribution to our industry “above and beyond” his normal role.
John Carter has an extensive background in the Australian red meat industry through his tenure in the Cattlemen’s Union, CEO of the NSW Meat Industry Authority and Chair of the Australian Beef Association.
Before his recent passing, Don Lawson OAM in nominating John for the award said:
“John’s major contribution to the meat industry has been his pioneering work in establishing the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ). When John was in the USA, he saw the ICMJ and he liked it that much, when he returned to Australia, he brought the idea back with him and turned into reality for Australia.”
Under his auspices as CEO of the NSW Meat Industry Authority, John was able to promote and develop the concept in undergraduate programs at Universities in Australia – the first competition was held in 1990 and since its inception over 2000 students have participated in the program.
Not limited to Australian universities, teams from USA, Japan, Indonesia and Korea compete in the program – Australian Teams also travel to USA to compete against the American Colleges.
In 2025, 10 teams and 150 students contested the ICMJ competition in Australia with Texas A&M University being the overall champion team. UQ Gatton were runners-up.
John Carter was a guest of honour at the ICMJ National Competition Gala Awards Dinner in July where he presented the John Carter Founders Buckle to the individual overall meat judging champion, Katya Zapf from the University of Queensland, Gatton Campus.
In presenting the award to John, John Gunthorpe, Chairman of the Australian Beef Industry Foundation, said:
“For his vision and inspiration in the development and ongoing support of the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Competition through an extensive program of competition and events as a pathway for encouraging the next generation of leaders in the global red meat industry, we award the 2024 Howard Yelland Beef Industry Award to John Carter. These words are included in his citation.”
Contact: John Gunthorpe
Phone: 0400 403 456
Email: jgunthorpe@bigpond.com
8th September 2025
John Carter receives the 2024 Howard Yelland Award from John Gunthorpe, Chairman of ABIF and Sam Inglis, Director, ABIF Education Fund.
