Episode 24 · Country Life
Growing Up Capable
Charleigh Fry on cattle work, country life & backing yourself.
At 13, Charleigh Fry is mustering on horseback, doing cattle work on weekends, and quietly showing the rest of us what it looks like to just get on with it.
Charleigh Fry is 13 years old. She pushes cattle up the race, mobs and musters on horseback, helps with tagging and spraying, and has been part of her dad's paddock-to-plate work since she was young enough to help bag meat on a customer's property.
She's not waiting until she's older to start living. She's already in it.
It started before she had words for it
Charleigh's dad, Scotty Fry, is an on-farm butcher and the founder of the Paddock to Plate Facebook community. Growing up around that kind of work meant Charleigh was part of the process from day one — not watching from the sidelines, but actually in it. Hands dirty. Learning as she went.
Her dad built his own business, moved around, never sat behind a desk. Charleigh watched that and absorbed something from it. When asked if she'll follow in his footsteps, her answer was easy: "Hopefully. Yeah."
What a normal week actually looks like
School. Then home. Then out with her stepdad doing fencing or cattle work, or helping look after her baby brother. Weekends with her dad on the land.
When she says cattle work, she means the real thing — mustering, pushing cattle through the race so they move in single file, tagging, spraying, identifying which ones need attention. And while the rest of the family uses quads, Charleigh does most of the mustering on horseback.
"It's better to just jump on the horse. You can hear everything that's going on. You're always listening."
— Charleigh
Her horse is 22 years old. They've built a connection over time — learning each other, finding a rhythm. Charleigh talks about how horses feel your emotions. If you're unsettled, they feel it. So she's had to learn to stay calm and steady, not just for herself, but for the horse.
That's a skill a lot of adults are still working on.
City kid turned country girl
Charleigh lived in Gladstone until she was around five or six, then moved to the country. She's experienced both and doesn't hesitate on which she prefers.
Country — easily. Not because town is bad, but because out here there's room. There's connection to animals and land. There's quiet at the end of the day. And there's a kind of independence that builds naturally when you're actually doing things, rather than just existing near them.
"Out here you've got the bond with animals. In the city it's very loud and there's a lot going on. I enjoy it out here a lot more."
— Charleigh
What she'd say to other girls her age
When asked what she'd want other young women to take from her story, Charleigh didn't overthink it.
Just give it a go. Whatever it is. Even if it feels like it's "for the boys." More women are getting into these spaces every day, she said — and there's more than enough room.
"Anything you really want to do — you can start doing it. You don't have to wait."
Confidence doesn't come from age. It comes from exposure — from being in real situations, supported by the right people, and being willing to give things a go before you feel completely ready.
Charleigh is someone to watch. Not because she's exceptional — but because she shows what becomes possible when a young woman is simply given the chance to try.
Listen to the full episode