When the going gets tough
Matt was a city kid; born in Brisbane. When he was in Grade 1, his parents bought a home on two acres at Caboolture where he spent the rest of his childhood.
Matt liked horses and cattle and was enrolled in the Agricultural section at high school, “I was really into showing cattle, but there were no horses.” At 15 he took part in the Rite rural training scheme and came to Monkira for work experience. He decided that’s what he wanted to do, and soon began at Monkira full time. “It was pretty overwhelming at first, and I didn’t know what to expect. I was used to having everything put in front of me and I didn’t have to do anything for myself. Out here its your job, and you have to do it. But, every minute was good, and I loved the space.”
In 2008, Matt stepped to a new level, and became Head Stockman. His experiences when he first arrived at Monkira have helped him relate to and teach the new ringers.
He has sound advice for young people who might be considering working on a cattle station, “There are plenty of me’s out there. You’ve gotta want to do it; have a passion for it. I’d say, “give it a go”, and if you’re tough enough to tough it out, you’ll reap the benefits. The first year was the hardest, and lots of times I was on the point of leaving, but if you’re in the right place and in a good atmosphere, like here, keep focused, and go for it, it doesn’t matter how hard it gets. You’ll either love it or hate it, and there’s no room for ‘corner store stuff’ If you’re prepared for long distances for long periods of time, you’ll probably do good. My Dad told me “Do it like you’re gonna do it forever,” and that’s what I did. All the good stuff is hard to get to.”
Right now Matt likes what he’s doing, and has become involved with Perelli horsemanship. He has trained his own horse, Dolly, the Perelli way. Rodeoing is another thing. “I like my rodeo, ‘specially bull riding, but I haven’t done enough to get anywhere yet.”
With Anthony and Deb Desreaux’s guidance and encouragement, Matt has been tough enough to tough it out, and he’s reaping the benefits.
Image caption:
1) Matt Limbert on Dolly