As Barraba stud Tycolah Poll Herefords has developed over 50 years, the focus - producing a well-balanced, well-muscled commercial bull, with good constitution, and good skin and hair - hasn't changed.
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"We're after a moderate type animal that you can finish early, yielding well with decent fat cover," principal Steve Crowley said.
"Constitution a big factor, and it's going to be an even bigger thing with this drought. We can't believe just how well our cattle have handled the tough conditions."
That doability keep clients coming back year after year.
Guy and Wendy Croft, Wongalee, Uralla, have been using Tycolah bulls for the past 20 years, choosing the stud for the bulls' doability, softness, bone structure and temperament.
"We sell the calves at Armidale weaner sales and the buyer from last year couldn't get over their growth and bone structure. They were really happy with them."
Barraba crossbreeder Phillip White, Glenriddle, is another long-time client, with three generations of the White family - Phillip, his father Dick, and his son Adam - buying Tycolah bulls.
"Dad would have been one of the first clients and Adam is the picking the bulls this year. Steve's been a very good judge of stock. I like the softness over the Charolais females, and the temperament of all their bulls is very good."
Repeat success in the show ring
Tycolah is a well-known name in the show ring, with some of the stud's biggest achievements including winning the Urquhart Trophy at Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2012.
Steve and Therese Crowley have also taken out the breeders group six times in the past seven years, and won the sires progeny group nine times over the past 10 years at Sydney, and the Presidents Shield a few times at Dubbo.
Winning supreme interbreed in 2012 was Tycolah Jovial F77, who then sold for $80,000 at the Dubbo Hereford national.
Jovial's sire Karina Cherry Z8 is another outstanding bull, being the sire of the stud's first winning sire progeny group in 2010.
Tycolah Lynwood H184, by Valma Prestige E60, was junior and grand champion at EKKA in 2013 at just nine months of age, and his son, Tycolah Oakwood L26, was senior and grand champion bull, and best Hereford exhibit at Sydney in 2017.
"They've both got bulls in this year's sale," Steve said.
"We won the breeders group in 2017 with Lynwood's progeny, and we've still got his mum, Asteret A129, and she'd be the oldest cow on the place now."
The showing tradition has continued with the next two generations. Steve's son Ben has been full-time on the farm for about six years, with he and his partner Rheni Austin working in partnership with his parents, while raising two children, Arley, 6, and eight-month-old Hudson. Ben's sister Lisa and her husband Jarrod are also involved in the stud.
"Lisa's kids (Bailey, 12, Bella, 10, and Chace, 8) have started going to heifer shows and my little fella will soon too," Ben said.
Steve's grandfather Reg Green owned the Yarrandabbie stud, and his father Doug bred commercial Poll Herefords. Steve's grandfather, along with his uncle Dick Green, had a big influence in his decision to set up a stud.
His first calf was born in 1968 and he registered Tycolah in 1969, when he was 18. Steve's first heifer, Asteret, came from Gordon Kirkby's Success stud at Moree.
"I had to get four advanced and two credits in my School Certificate to get a stud cow, and I got five advanced and a credit, so I got to buy my cow," he said.
From there, he studied at Tocal Agricultural College, where his deputy principal was Bruce Urquhart, whom the Urquhart Trophy is named after. The late Mr Urquhart became a mentor for Steve and followed his stud as it grew.
"Bruce was in charge of the Poll Hereford stud at Tocal. He had a lot to do with me after I left Tocal, so it was a real honour to win that trophy."
Steve had good genetics from the start, with Asteret's cow family producing top bulls including Lynwood.
The first stud sire came from Bobanken.
He was conscripted for the army in 1972 and after he left training he worked on at the South Boorook and Gorian Hereford studs for about six years, where had the chance to view and purchase some good quality females.
The most successful cow families have been the Corisande and Countess lines, Steve said.
"I bought Countess at the Balfour dispersal, and she would have bred more champions than any other cow lines we've had."
