The feature exhibit at the Australian National Field Days at Borenore this week, Central West Beef Week was proof that cattle breeding was still in business in the region.
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Central West Beef Week chairman Wayne Petrie said there were 16 breeds and 48 pens of cattle in the exhibit and as well as showing the animals it was a chance for producers to catch up with one another and share information.
"There's over 80 head of cattle here," he said.
James Sheahan Catholic High School students from two year 9 agriculture classes were among the cattle exhibitors and brought a two-year-old shorthorn bull and three shorthorn heifers that were part of the school's breeding program.
Agriculture teacher Carol Blackwood said her class had to catch the cattle and shampoo them for the Field Days, which started on Thursday and continue on Saturday.
"[Shorthorns] are lovely and quiet," she said.
Among those who attended the exhibit was Shannon Landmark from Mareeba in northern Queensland and Luke Evans who manages a 1.2 million acre property with 20,000 cows on the Barkly Tableland.
The pair were joint winners for the 2019 Zander McDonald Award, an Australian and New Zealand mentoring award for young agriculturalists.
As well as learning about the region's beef cattle, it was a chance to share their knowledge, and Ms Landmark gave a presentation about genomics projects and how DNA testing can help determine an animal's best use.
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