THE trade, school and open steer competition is set to showcase not only the best of the best commercial cattle and their breeders, but also a host of high schools with vibrant agricultural programs.
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Not only do school students com- pete in the competitions, but they get a firsthand experience of how the hoof and hook judging is determ- ined.
In total, there are 345 exhibits in the competition this year which was about the same number as last year.
In the open steer competition there are 242 entries, while in the school steers there are 39 entered and 64 entries in the trade steer and heifer competition.
With a slight change to this year's competition, Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW cattle events co-ordinator Lucinda Ross said not only do the school and lightweight steers go to auction, all exhibits weighing up to 550 kilograms will go to auction, eventually being processed in Scone or Tamworth.
All remaining heavyweight steers left out of the auction will be sold over a grid system.
The predominant breeds in this year's line up are Murray Greys, Angus, Charolais and Limousins.
With one steer only allowed to be entered into the school steer com- petition per school, Mrs Ross said schools were allowed to enter up to another 10 steers in the purebred open section.
"About 40 school steers are predominantly exhibited each year," she explained.
Getting a hands-on education in agriculture, Mrs Ross said the students were involved in breaking in the cattle and exhibiting them in the lead up to the show.
Some of the bigger schools competing this year are flocking in from across the State and include Knox Grammar Wahroonga; Calrossy Anglican School, Tamworth; Coonamble High School; Dunedoo Catholic School; Gosford High; Frensham, Mittagong; Hurlstone Agricultural High School, Glenfield; Yeoval Central School; McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains; Murrumburrah High, Harden; New England Girls School, Armidale; Redbend Catholic College, Forbes; Scone Grammar; St John's College, Dubbo; Saint Josephs, Aberdeen; the King's School, Parramatta, and the Scots School, Bathurst.
Pre-show, all animals will be weighed and scanned.
"All the steers are weighed, catalogued and classed by weight, under light, middle and heavyweights," Mrs Ross said.
Troy Setter, who is soon to join Consolidated Pastoral Company, will take on the task of judging the school and open purebred steer classes while Jeff House from AusWest Seeds, Forbes, and Jason Siddell from the Local Land Services will judge the carcases.
Guy Lord, "Branga Plains", Walcha, will also be a part of the team and judge the trade steers and heifers.