THE country's longest running regional multi-vendor bull sale, the Glen Innes Whiteface Show and Sale, turns 70 this year.
The platinum anniversary sale, on July 24, will include 95 horned and polled bulls and four heifers from 21 Hereford studs in NSW and Queensland.
Glen Innes Whiteface sale chairman Angus Vivers, Jindalee Herefords, Inverell, said racking up 70 years was "a hell of an achievement".
The New England has the most studs in the sale, with breeders coming from Inverell, Dundee, Tingha, Tamworth, Delungra, Guyra, Kings Plains, Gum Flat and Stonehenge.
There will also be studs from Coon- abarabran and Wingham, as well as Chinchilla, Tara and Wellcamp in Queensland.
Mr Vivers said the Glen Innes whiteface sale had become one of the most respected and well-supported multi-vendor sales in the country.
"The Glen Innes sale is well-known within the breed and it's played a huge role in setting the industry up to where it is now," he said.
"There wouldn't be too many Hereford studs, right from North Queensland to Victoria, that haven't either bought or sold out of the Glen Innes sale."
Mr Vivers said the improved cattle market and change in seasonal conditions could result in a better sale.
"We've had a bit of a dry time for the last three or four years, but we're still going strong," he said.
"I think the Hereford breed is going to do really well this year.
"The 1970s and 1980s were very strong for Herefords then the black cattle became popular through marketing, but I hope the Hereford breed comes back."
Mr Vivers said this year's sale had attracted interest from all across northern NSW.
"We've got buyers all over the place. There are a lot of people from northern NSW and South East Queensland but in past years we've had bulls sold to studs and commercial operators in Victoria."
The sale has a large number of regular buyers, with many buying multiple bulls each year.
"This sale is really designed for the smaller studs who can't have an on-property sale but still have a good run of bulls available," Mr Vivers said.
"A lot of our buyers will buy from the same stud each year, but there are others who want different genetics.
"For some buyers, this sale lets them buy all their bulls for the year in one spot."
Four new studs will sell at Glen Innes for the first time this year.
Tybay Herefords, owned by Gum Flat brothers Tyler and Bayden Reeves, Vale View Herefords, owned by 15-year-old Thomas Chard at Stonehenge, Excell Herefords, Pialla- way, owned by Alex Steinbeck, and Supple Herefords, owned by Ben Rumbel, Guyra.
"We've got a few new studs, but we've also got studs that have been selling at Glen Innes for many years," Mr Vivers said.
"Jane Leake from Bahreena Poll Herefords has been selling since the sale started, while Greg James from Lindendale stud has sold here for maybe 45 years, however, this will be the last year."
Bulls will be judged the day before the sale, with renowned Hereford breeder Jim Gunn, Sevenbardot Poll Herefords, Bylong, judging.
Mr Gunn is also a former vendor in the Glen Innes sale.
"He's had a fair association with this sale in the early 1960s, 1970s and 1980s," Mr Vivers said.
While there won't be any led classes, vendors can enter their bulls in five classes - single junior Hereford bull, single intermediate Hereford bull, single senior Hereford bull, champion pen of three Hereford bulls and group of six Hereford bulls.
The show starts at 1pm on Thursday, July 23, with animals scanned and weighed earlier that morning.
Awards from the show will be presented at a special celebratory function to mark the 70th anniversary at the New England Club on the Thursday night.
All buyers and vendors are invited to the event, which will also include a display of memorabilia celebrating the Hereford breed and the Glen Innes whiteface sale.
The sale starts at 11am on Friday, July 24 at the Glen Innes saleyards.
