Exhibitors turned out in droves to Nowra, showing 100 head of cattle at one of most prestigious dairy shows in the country.

“Considering the milk industry at the moment, we had plenty of positive support from exhibitors,” NSW Holstein president Paul Condon said.

“It’s an expensive game, showing cattle, and when the income isn’t there, they tend not to come.

“We’re lucky on the South Coast, we have good support from farmers, from sponsors and local businesses,  and good quality cattle.”

As with last year’s show, exhibitors travelled from as far as Taree, Bega and Cobargo for the show.

Moss Vale dairy farmer Murray Sowter took out senior champion cow and intermediate champion cow sections.

In the midst of expanding the dairy farm at Jaspers Brush, local farmer Justin Walsh has been showing his cattle at major shows across the country.

After winning a major award, champion cow, at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, he said the standard at Nowra on Saturday, where he won a few ribbons, was outstanding, and the competition was just as fierce.

“We’ve had a good year,” Mr Walsh said.

“It’s a culmination of years of work coming together rather than one thing in particular this year.

“We’ve had good teams of cows at shows rather than just one or two.

“Standard is very high here, although numbers have been bigger last year, the quality this year is probably better.”

He embraced the dry weather in July but hopes to get more rainfall before winter closes out.

”We had a very dry July which is not that bad, we prefer a dry July than a wet one, because you’re always feeding the cows and it makes it easier, you can get too wet, and when it’s muddy the cows get foot problems,” he said.

“You do need some rain in August, unless we get some rain soon spring will be on hold until we do.

“Spring’s usually our peak time for the grass to grow and make silage.

“We might have to buy hay which will be more expensive than last year because the majority of the state is really dry.”