Perth Royal Show: Trevor Blight takes third Governor’s Cup honours

Lower Chittering goat breeder Trevor Blight was awarded the Governor’s Cup trophy at this year’s Perth Royal Show, his family’s third in their 40th year of showing livestock. The Dandalee stud principal and his mother Shirlee Blight, were delighted to take out the prestigious award given by WA Governor Chris Dawson with a handshake to the exhibitor with the most points in the livestock sections. Their first Governor’s Cup win was in 2021 when Trevor nearly missed the awards ceremony as one of his goats was giving birth. Last year, the Blight family shared the cup victory with the Squiers family, of Quairading, who show up to three meat sheep breeds each year. Trevor said he exhibited 40 goats this year consisting of three breeds including Toggenburg, Saanen, and Minature Nigeran Dwarfs, taking out more than 30 broad ribbons for his efforts. He also displayed Angora goats and won the supreme fleece award. His champion exhibits in the breed classes went on to win interbreed supreme senior and junior titles, as well as champion doe and buck kid. The Blights have also exhibited poultry, horses, mohair fleeces and pug dogs in their 40-year history at the show. “The Perth Royal Show is a great forum for the city people, which is important,” Trevor said. “There seems to be a lost connection between the city and country from urbanisation. “Young people no longer have grandparents that had a connection to a farm.” Trevor, who is one of the world leaders in goat breeding and who recently turned 60, said he was meant to be slowing down, with hope other goat breeders would pick up the paces. He celebrated the win with his partner David Sauer, who held four-week-old Nigerian Dwarf doe kid named Sunkist, while holding the prestigous cup trophy for the third time in a photo shoot for Countryman. Royal Agricultural Society of WA president John Snowball congratulated all of the finalist in the Governor’s Cup competition — “the very best of all livestock competitions”. “At the very heart of our Perth Royal Show, 94 per cent of those who attended want to be part of the agriculture attractions,” he said. “From the Black Dog steer that sold for $9000 to the muster dog that raised $50,000 plus for Telethon, it was a tremendous show.”