The National Shorthorn Show & Sale is the premier “blue ribbon” event in the Shorthorn breed calendar. It is also one of the more prestigious and significant events within the broader cattle industry.

The “National” as it is known, is built around the exhibition and subsequent sale of an “elite” line up of Shorthorn bulls assembled from top studs across Australia.
It is a unique opportunity, indeed the one opportunity each year to see the best of the breed under one roof. As such, it attracts a diverse and wide ranging audience from across the cattle industry.

The “National” has over the years evolved and is now regarded as more than just a large cattle Show & Sale. It has moved beyond this and is now seen as a major industry event, an opportunity to conduct business, meet other breeders, exchange information, socialize etc. It is one of the more significant industry “gatherings”, and as such has the potential for wider commercial exploitation.

Founded 1959. The National Shorthorn Show and Sale, as it is now known, was first held in June 1959 with the late Douglas Munro of Gundibri Shorthorn stud the judge.
Since then, it has become the leading multi-vendor Shorthorn sale in the Southern Hemisphere and the hub of the Shorthorn world.

Held annually at Dubbo in New South Wales, the fixture offers discerning buyers the choice of a large number of quality bulls from across the country, as well as a select group of special females from the hearts of their breeders’ herds. Average bull prices in recent years, around $5000 to $5500, make for a market which caters to a range of budgets.

The Shorthorn breed has come a long way since it first graced Australia’s shores and became known as the “Breed That Built Australia”. The modern Shorthorn is known for its docility, calving ease, great capacity, finishing ability, growth and marbling ability. These are all traits highly valued by the commercial cattleman and are key elements to any beef program. The breed offers animals with suitability to a variety of programs and markets, be that breeding females for a self-replacing herd, domestic market or longer fed export market. Many feedlots and backgrounders demand Shorthorn-infused genetics for the breed’s ability to finish and marble well.

The organizational details:

  • The largest Shorthorn bull sale in Australia with between 100-130 bulls offered. There are very few bull sales of this size (any breed) ie. sale revenue between $700,000 and $850,000 on average
  • Benchmark for the Shorthorn breed in Australia
  • The event has been running continuously for 60 years and enjoys a high profile within the cattle industry
  • Animals entered undergo an extensive and thorough veterinary and “Breed Standard” inspection prior to exhibition
  • The event is professionally conducted under roof/lights at the Dubbo showground cattle complex over a two day period
  • Each year around 30 vendors from all parts of Australia participate
  • The National Show & Sale attracts in excess of 500 producers along with visitors from New Zealand and occasionally Canada and USA
  • Prominent industry personnel attend
  • Includes social events such as the Show and Sale Dinner

Held annually at Dubbo in New South Wales, the fixture offers discerning buyers the choice of a large number of quality bulls from across the country, as well as a select group of special females from the hearts of their breeders’ herds. Average bull prices in recent years, around $5000 to $5500, make for a market which caters to a range of budgets.

The Shorthorn breed has come a long way since it first graced Australia’s shores and became known as the “Breed That Built Australia”. The modern Shorthorn is known for its docility, calving ease, great capacity, finishing ability, growth and marbling ability. These are all traits highly valued by the commercial cattleman and are key elements to any beef program. The breed offers animals with suitability to a variety of programs and markets, be that breeding females for a self-replacing herd, domestic market or longer fed export market. Many feedlots and backgrounders demand Shorthorn-infused genetics for the breed’s ability to finish and marble well.

Shorthorns offer a range of maternal and carcase traits which make them a vital part of any pure or crossbreeding program. While many British breeds of cattle share these characteristics, results from the Beef Co-operative Research Centre at Armidale, NSW, clearly show Shorthorns to have superior marbling performance in comparison to Herefords, and superior Net Feed Intake (NFI, or feed efficiency) to Angus. This puts Shorthorn in a unique position as the ultimate British breed infusion for any crossbred program, or as a purebred option which can be marketed as a distinct and consistent line.

The National Shorthorn Show and Sale Committee invite you to take a closer look at what Shorthorns can do for your program. This fixture offers a diverse range of types and pedigrees, so there is bound to be something for everyone. And as the premier multi-vendor sale for the breed, the sires on offer are the tops of their drops. Many of the breed’s top studs have sourced new stud sires from the sale – the Australian record-priced bull was sold in Dubbo in 2006.

We wish you the very best in the search for your next sire.

Shorthorns offer a range of maternal and carcase traits which make them a vital part of any pure or crossbreeding program. While many British breeds of cattle share these characteristics, results from the Beef Co-operative Research Centre at Armidale, NSW, clearly show Shorthorns to have superior marbling performance in comparison to Herefords, and superior Net Feed Intake (NFI, or feed efficiency) to Angus. This puts Shorthorn in a unique position as the ultimate British breed infusion for any crossbred program, or as a purebred option which can be marketed as a distinct and consistent line.

The National Shorthorn Show and Sale Committee invite you to take a closer look at what Shorthorns can do for your program. This fixture offers a diverse range of types and pedigrees, so there is bound to be something for everyone. And as the premier multi-vendor sale for the breed, the sires on offer are the tops of their drops. Many of the breed’s top studs have sourced new stud sires from the sale – the Australian record-priced bull was sold in Dubbo in 2006.

We wish you the very best in the search for your next sire.