Jack grabs life by the horns in TV documentary

Living and working out in the desolate Australian outback isn’t for everyone, but for Jack Corby, it was the experience of a lifetime.

The former Caboolture State High School student left home at the age of 15 and spent three years working on the Numal Numal Cattle Station in the Northern Territory under the guidance of seasoned bull catcher Kurt Hammer.

Not only did Jack learn the skills needed to run a successful station, but he also appeared in two seasons of the documentary series, Outback Ringer, which screened on the ABC.

Outback Ringer followed the story and lives of three families who risk their reputations, fortunes and lives catching feral bulls and buffalo.

“It was a really good experience,” Jack says.

“I did everything from chasing cattle to welding, driving semi-trailers and working on the station.

“You get to any apprentice job and start off sweeping the floors – it’s the same out here.

“I just kept doing what I was doing every day and putting in 110 per cent effort.”

Catching his first bull

In an episode which aired on in February this year, Jack can be seen hastily driving through the outback as he chases and catches his very first bull – a highlight of his time on the station.

The bulls can weigh anywhere from 500-600 kilograms, which means catching them is no easy feat.

But having trained under one of the best in the business, Jack caught the bull with ease.

“I had a bit of butterflies in my guts but it’s all good,” Jack says during the episode.

“But it was an awesome feeling to catch it – I’ve never had a feeling like it.

“I was pretty excited and pretty proud of myself.”

The next stage

Jack has now started an apprenticeship as a boilermaker and will be qualified in three years.

His mum Roseanne is proud of her son and everything he has achieved.

“He has got a very good trade behind him, and if he wants to back out onto the station, he has his trade and knows how to drive the semi-trailers, trucks, motorbikes – you name it,” Roseanne says.

“He’s a very happy-go-lucky kid who wears his heart on his sleeve and wants to work hard every day.”