After nine decades, Des still loves a day at the saleyards | The First Draft

One gentleman going against that trend is 90-year-old Des Redmond.

Des has a place not far from Orange where he runs mostly Hereford steers and he's been doing it for more than 50 years.

He's a regular at the Carcoar store sale, picking up one or two pens each time which he later sells as finished steers back through Carcoar's weekly prime market.

He didn't miss the chance to get among the selling action once again last Friday where he bought two pens, both October/November-drop Hereford steers, for $755 and $940 a head.

Des has been an Orange cattleman for more than five decades, but cut his teeth in the workforce at the other end of the beef industry as an apprentice butcher.

He grew up in south-east Queensland, was educated in Brisbane and, after school, took on an apprenticeship with meat and pastoral giant TA Field. After a stint in Brisbane and Rockhampton, he was transferred by TA Field to Orange.

"We moved to Orange in May 1968 and that was quite a shock after being used to the warmer climate of Queensland," he told me during an interview a few years ago.

Des worked with TA Field for 20 years and said they were very good people to work for, but he also wanted to give something new a go.

That "something new" was buying an 80 hectare block of land just outside Orange and he's been there ever since.

"I just love the industry and getting to saleyards and talking to people," he said.

"Chatting to people at the saleyards, you find out what's going on in the area.

"It is great and I think I am very lucky."

He reckons at his age each day is a blessing.

"I count the months now, not just the years, 'cause when you get to my age each one matters," he said.

Des said he loves his cattle and won't give up what he says is a great way of life.