It was 'something to do' that lured young Angus Burton into the world of cattle showing.
Despite coming from his family's 240ha farm outside Euroa, his stock experience was limited to sheep, but when the 16-year-old began his secondary education at Yanco's prestigious Agricultural High School, the adventurous student said he was not going to be inside bound.
"Once I got to Yanco going to see some cattle was something to do one afternoon instead of sitting around at the dorm," he said.
"So I went to a cattle sale."
Three years later and Angus found himself at the start of October showing black Simmental cattle at the Royal Melbourne Show for Tallangatta stud Brewer Beef.
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The day of showing saw Angus on the end of a lead for the breeder's win of Reserve Champion Cow and Calf and Senior Female in Simmentals.
The experience was not Angus's first rodeo, having already shown at the Sydney Royal Show twice and Brisbane's Ekka once.
It's been a busy three years.
"Take a shot," Angus advises to anyone wanting to get into the field.
"Take the opportunity to show whenever it comes up."
Angus said he enjoyed learning new things 'all the time' and the conversation is peppered with 'when I start my own stud'.
He has had success also in the category of handlers, having won a first place ribbon in his class.
Angus's father Dean naturally feels great pride in his son.
"That first opportunity led him to doing more," Mr Burton said.
"He is keen to keep going to different shows and dealing with different breeds to take on board.
"He does what needs to be done - and then some more - he was never a pee-wee and in fact he hasn't got a bad eye for the judging either, for seeing a good beast."
But it seems Angus won't stop there.
"It looks like he wants to get onto the microphone as well, with auctioneering given a bit of a go - it gets him out and about."
Despite it's location in NSW, Yanco Ag High is home to many Victorian regional aspirants, where the teeth of many successful careers in agriculture have been cut for 103 years.
It is considered the highest ranked ag-specialsed state school in the country, levelling with South Australia's Urrbrae Agricultural High School in South Australia.
Dedicated agricultural secondary schools are sparse in Australia, with Victoria having none, leading to the exodus over the Murray of many of the state's regional students.
To Angus, the school is 'pretty cool', where he has also proven handy in the position of prop in the school's rugby union side.
"But the school is very, very challenging," he said.
"I went there all by myself three years ago in Year eight.
"But I soon found that it's one big family up there."
