Trangie's popular Junior Judging Day was held during the school holidays, drawing keen young ag enthusiasts from across the region.

Kath Donoghue from the NSW Department of Primary Industry's Trangie Agricultural Research Centre, where the Judging Day was held, said the event had been going for many years, with the earliest known trophy dating back to 1940.

"It's been going for a long time in the Trangie area and it's all about education and learning about agriculture and ag products.

"On the day, the older kids, those over 15, also get to speak about how they judged some of the samples or animals. Then all the prize winners are announced at the end of the day."

Competitors ranged in age from 6 to 20 years, and came from near and far for the event, including Gilgandra, Condobolin, Coonabarabran, Bathurst and Dubbo, as well as locals from Trangie, Warren, Narromine and Tottenham.

Competitors were given the opportunity to assess beef cattle, meat sheep, Merino sheep, cotton samples, wool fleeces and grain samples, as well as learn more about these agricultural products.

"Cattle are from our research station but everything else is supplied by local breeders or businesses." Ms Donoghue said.

"Wool, cotton and grain come from Quality Wool, Cotton Australia and Graincorp. Local breeders Egelabra Merino Stud and Double C Australian Whites supplied the sheep for which we are very grateful. Many thanks to NSW Farmers for their generous sponsorship of the event as well."

Meg Dunford from the NSW DPI School Unit also attended to provide tips on how to structure the public speaking component of junior judging events- a vital skill for all.

"The kids learned how to structure their talks as it's not just about judging but also about getting up and talking about the products or animals, and why they placed them that way," Ms Donoghue said.

"The entrants are assessed not only how they placed the products or the animals, but also on how they speak about the process they went through."

Most Enthusiastic sub-junior Emily Swift of Narromine.

Delayed a week due to rain, Ms Donoghue said numbers at the Judging Day were slightly down.

"Last year we had over 100 kids complete, but this year was a bit smaller," she said. "We still had around 60 enthusiastic kids running around though.

"These kids don't want to just sit still and listen up, they're keen to get in and handle the sheep and cattle and the wool and the cotton. They love how hands on the event is."

A big prize haul - and a promising future - for Sienna Pearce, Dubbo.

Winners on the day included the following

• Overall Champion: Sienna Pearce, Dubbo

• Senior Champion: Sienna Pearce, Dubbo

• Reserve Senior Champion: Mary Westwood, Gilgandra

• Junior Champion: Nelly Tink, Narromine

• Reserve Junior Champion: Lucy Miles, Condobolin

• Austin Steer Memorial Award: Olivia Mitchell, Bathurst

• Sub-Junior Champion Most Enthusiastic Award: Emily Swift, Trangie and William Starr, Tottenham

The long-standing event was again a great success, with kids and spectators alike learning plenty from the experts present as well as having a great day with their friends. 

Below: Junior & Reserve Champions for 2024, Nelly Tink (Narromine) and Mary Westwood (Gilgandra).