The Young Judges & Paraders Competitions play an important role in developing the next generation of agricultural show leaders, providing young people with the opportunity to build confidence, public speaking ability and lifelong skills in visually assessing and comparing livestock against industry standards. Through judging and parading, participants gain a deeper understanding of animal welfare, ring etiquette and breed characteristics, while developing skills that enable them to make a valuable and lasting contribution to the agricultural industry and the ongoing strength of Agricultural Shows.
Young Judges & Paraders Group Finals
Competition Guidelines
- Beef Cattle Judging Operational Guidelines
- Beef Cattle Paraders Guidelines
- Dairy Cattle Judging Operational Guidelines
- Merino Sheep Judging Operational Guidelines
- Merino Fleece Judging Operational Guidelines
- Meat Breeds Sheep Judging Operational Guidelines
- Grain Judging Operational Guidelines
- Fruit & Vegetable Judging Operational Guidelines
- Poultry Judging Operational Guidelines
Downloadable Resources
- Guidelines on using Google Forms, Canva and QR codes for competition pre entry
- 2025/2026 Judging Competition times & dates sorted by GROUP
- 2025/2026 Group Final Result Sheet
- Over Judge Thank You Certificate
- Computer Scoring Program for Judging Competitions - this program caters for up to 200 entrants (email katie.stanley@ascofnsw.org.au to receive a copy)
- Merino Fleece Judging - Top & Noil - Please be aware it is important that all entrants in the Merino Fleece Judging Competition are fully conversant with the "Scale of Points for Fleece Judging". You will need to have a few copies on hand for your competitions. CLICK HERE to download.
Teacher Resources
- Handbook for Agriculture Teachers - Competitions
- Videos on all Young Judges Competitions - All the videos are under Agricultural Education
Young Judges Education Day
The ASC Next Generation Group ran a very successful Young Judges Workshop day in Eugowra. They have put together two documents which will help people wishing to put on an education day targeting schools and the Young Judges competitions.
1) Guidelines to running a 100 student judging workshop
2) Young Judges booklet for students to use and take home
Young Judges Logos
The logo is available for all NSW shows and group finals to download and use in their schedules when running Young Judges & Parader competitions. There is both a horizontal version and a vertical version that can be used. We encourage you to download the branding guidelines to ensure you are using the logos correctly.
Qualifying for State Finals
Important notes
- You must qualify through a Group Finals to be eligible to compete at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
- Merino Sheep Competitors - Stud Merino Breeders Association's events at Dubbo, Canberra, Bathurst and Armidale are classified as group finals.
- Competitors must be 15 and under 25 years of age on 1st May in the year of the State Final at the Royal Easter Show. They must be residing in either NSW or the ACT; or be in regular paid employment in NSW or the ACT; or be in full-time education in NSW or the ACT at the time of first competing in any competition year.
- See further rules & regulations in the individual competition guidelines section.
- The table below outlines which placings qualify for State Finals:
|
Young Judges Competition |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Beef |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Dairy |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Merino Sheep |
Y |
|
|
Y |
|
Merino Fleece |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Meat Breed Sheep |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Grain |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
|
Fruit & Veg |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
| Poultry | Y | Y |
State Finals
The 2026 State Finals of the Judging Competitions will be held at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Entry for the 2026 Sydney Royal will be done online for Young Judges & Paraders. A link will be sent to eligible competitors after qualifying.
For more information on Judging Competitions - CLICK HERE
2026 SYDNEY ROYAL TIMETABLE
|
See past Winners 2008 - 2025
National Young Judges & Paraders Competition
The National Finals are organised by Agricultural Shows Australia (ASA), the National Body who represents over 580 Shows nation-wide. For further details on the National Finals please visit www.agshowsaustralia.org.au