As the grand champion Red Poll bull and female were paraded around the ring for best exhibit, judge Neil Watson, commended their quality and relevance in the beef industry.
"If I had to start a (Red Poll) stud again, what a way to do it," he said, remarking on both the quality of the cattle before him and the fact his family were also former breeders of Red Polls.
They ran the Bandaroo stud at Scone some years ago, which was a successful stud in its day.
The bull was Redrush The Witcher, was by Kookabookra Banjo K12 and from Rosedale Wildfire, bred by Kim and Nathan Usher, Redrush stud, Saumarez Ponds near Armidale.
The Witcher was junior and then grand champion bull and was described by Mr Watson, who these days breeds Santa Gertrudis at Tamworth, as having excellent depth of body and hindquarter, as well as good balance, softness and fat cover.
"This bull can add a lot of meat back into the cattle and with added fat cover," Mr Watson said.
"Those bulls that can add a bit of fat cover, you'll find the female portion will handle the drought better and get in calf better."
The Witcher had to out shine some quality competition for the best exhibit title in a neat, classy cow.
Grand female, Stormley Queen-Bee, exhibited with a heifer cal and bred by Trent Storm, Stormley stud, Barham, was by Stormley Ned Kelly and from Almora Kepond.
Mr Storm said Queen-Bee was the junior champion heifer at Melbourne Royal Show in 2017 and the cow's sire had been supreme at Melbourne in 2014.
Mr Watson pointed out the cow wasn't yet three years old, but had a big calf, an excellent udder, structure and fertility traits.
Stormley also exhibited the reserve junior female, Stormley Rhonda, by Stormley Prime Mover.
Rhonda was beaten by Red Cactus Berry for junior female. Berry was by Eurimbla Fable and from Lynbarry Idesia and bred and exhibited by Ross Draper, Red Cactus stud, Arthurs Creek, Victoria, who has exhibited at Sydney for 38 years straight.
Mr Draper also exhibited the reserve junior bull, Red Cactus Joeboy, by Red Cactus Joe and from Red Cactus Mermaid.
Reserve senior female was Yongerellan Esma Penny, by Yongerellan Fimiston Kimber and from Yongerellan Esma Lantern.
This was the fifth straight year Murray Williams of Yongerellan stud, Quairading, WA, had shown at Sydney, saying he used the trip to also attend the breed conference and to visit friends and family.
His cow had been second in the interbreed calf competition at Perth Royal Show in 2016 and then supreme Red Poll exhibit at Perth last year.
The senior champion and reserve grand bull, Redward Barnaby, commended by the judge as having great fertility characteristics, was by Eurimbla Fable and from Redward Martha and exhibited by Gay Ward, Redward stud, Altona North, Vic.
The breed had 23 individual exhibits.