Walbundrie is renowned as the largest one-day show in the Riverina but it can also claim another title - the home of this year's The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl.
Stephanie Clancy from Walbundrie Show Society has been sashed this year's winner, with Dunedoo Showgirl Effie Fergusson first runner-up and Forbes Showgirl Sally Downie second runner-up.
"Wow, what an absolute shock," Ms Clancy said in front of a massive crowd when she was crowned this year's winner.
"I definitely did not expect this with all these great women who are doing a wonderful job...spending the week with them has been unreal.
"This is such a great initiative for young women in Australia, it's such a privilege. I hope I can do Nikki Gibbs (Wauchope Showgirl and 2018 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl) proud, she has done a wonderful job in the last 12 months."
Ms Clancy thanked everyone involved in the Showgirl competition including sponsors The Land, Royal Agricultural Society, Agricultural Societies Council of NSW, Akubra, Thomas Cook and Birdsnest.
Stephanie also paid tribute to Showgirl chaperone Anna Madden who she brought out on stage to hug.
"Anna has been our mum for the last week and she has done a great job," she said.
Stephanie, a territory manager for Pacific Seeds and a steward at the Walbundrie Show, impressed judges with her coal-face approach to, and passion for, her clients and community.
She hopes to one day return to the family farm to operate a successful and sustainable business. She also has dreams of writing children's books with strong agriculture female characters.
Dunedoo Showgirl Effie Fergusson is in her final year of a Bachelor of Agriculture and Business at the University of New England and is passionate about working in a rural area when she finishes her studies.
Effie hopes to one day return to the family farm and run it in partnership with her brothers, however in the meantime she aims to gain employment in the financial and animal management industry.
To help get her foot in the door to a rewarding career, Effie also works part-time as a customer support officer for Practical Systems in Armidale.
At just 20-years-old, Sally Downie has already founded the soon-to-be-registered not-for-profit organisation, Grassroots Blueprint.
This initiative has the aim of engaging with and empowering farmers, while also promoting agriculture and the real story of farming to the wider community.
She developed the concept in late 2017 and started working on implementing the idea in 2018, including holding free morning teas and barbecues for farmers at Condobolin, Forbes, Grenfell and Eugowra. This led to her also being employed as her local council's drought co-ordinator.
More to come
Journalist based on the Mid North Coast for The Land.
Journalist based on the Mid North Coast for The Land.
