FOR Larry Williams, a yearly 2200-kilometre round-trip to Dubbo National Poll Hereford Show and Sale in New South Wales is well worth it.
Mr Williams, along with his four brothers, runs up to 20,000 head of cattle across 22,000-square kilometres of pastoral land in northern and western South Australia - and they find their best bulls at Dubbo.
"You get the pick of the best bulls in Australia at Dubbo," said Mr Williams, who runs Coonibar at Carrieton with his wife Betty.
"When you go to Dubbo you get the top bulls in the industry and I've always found it a great place to be," he said. "It's well worth the trip."
A major volume-buyer during the past few years at Dubbo, Mr Williams often buys 15 or more bulls to run with up to 10,000 females on the 10,000-hectare Coonibar.
A couple of years ago, he bought 36 bulls, and 23 this year.
"Over the last few years the quality of the bulls offered at Dubbo has improved 100 per cent and it's meant a lot of blokes who are not quite at the top of the game have dropped out," Mr Williams said.
"But that has opened-up new opportunities for us and others."
Through the hardships and blessings of life in such "opportunist" country, the Williams family - which trades as the Williams Cattle Company - has dealt with droughts and floods, improved stock management, and built a quality Poll Hereford herd.
Holding the forts across SA are Trevor and Helen at Nilpinna Station, Vincent and Julia at Mount Sarah Station, and Wayne and Janet at Hamilton Station, while Tony and Steph run 6000 Poll Hereford cattle across 7000-square kilometres at Mount Barry Station, Coober Pedy.
Larry and Betty oversee the company's feeding regime, which is a valuable security mechanism in its marketing operations.
All cattle are marketed out of Carrieton and sold via a feedlot.
They are fed on natural grasses, including Flinders Grass, and are grown up to 600 kilograms. But it is not merely the final condition of the stock which ensures good sale returns. A respected reputation for quality cattle is also a key.
And that reputation has been built up during 40 years, with the company's association with good-quality Poll Herefords stretching back to the early 1970s.
"We've been in Poll Herefords since before the tuberculosis eradication program and things have changed over the years with the breed," Mr Williams said.
"We have gradually bought country northward towards Coober Pedy but the cattle have managed to adapt to new environments well.
"The local SA Poll Hereford industry has grown a lot and is doing well, but NSW is still where the money is."
*Full report in Stock Journal, June 23 issue, 2011.
