Aquaculture is one of the only Sydney Royal Fine Food Competitions where the public can watch judging live! This must-see judging event is where all fine foodies will want to be. Come watch popular Sydney Royal Easter Show presenter, Lyndey Milan OAM, MC the judging as she interacts with the public and helps answer all your questions about the Sydney Rock Oyster and Sydney Royal judging process. Chefs and industry professionals will also be on hand to share their insights on the judging floor. Judges will be assessing the uniformity of shape, presentation, texture, colour, freshness and the all-important taste under the watchful eye of Show attendees, media, and key seafood industry professionals. You will be fascinated as you learn about the characteristics of the Sydney Rock Oyster and be provided with tips and tricks on how to pick the best dozen! Welcoming back one of New Zealand’s finest Chefs and 2023 guest Judge, Martin Bosley will be back for another year of Rock Oyster judging – come learn from Martin and the stellar Judging Panel to determine which Sydney Rock Oyster will take out the 2024 Championships!  

More than 2500 years ago Egyptians put scarecrows in their fields to protect wheat crops from hungry quail, today we are putting scarecrows in the Flower & Garden Pavilion to keep an eye on the Great Backyard Pumpkin Challenge. With 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ribbons up for grabs you’re guaranteed to be delighted by a field of funny faces and curious creations!

This year marks 125 years since Woodchop & Sawing competitions first appeared at the Show. Promising world-class action, the Sydney Royal Woodchopping & Sawing Competition is the only competition in Australia to host five world title events including crowd favourite, the 325mm Tree Felling contest. In what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport, 2024 has more women entrants than ever before, making up 20% of woodchoppers on the lawn. For the first time at the Sydney Royal, two Women’s World Championship titles are being held in 2024: -325mm Women’s World Championship Sawing Content (Single Handed), and -275mm Women’s World Championship Underhand And don’t miss the Jack & Jill Sawing, often it is husband and wife on each end of the saw!

Cutting clean through a log with a saw, from one side only.

In the tree felling competition the competitor chops notches in a tree/log and inserts a board into the cut. The board is then used as a platform in order to cut higher up the tree. This is done three times in order to get to the top of the tree and cut, before coming back down and starting again on the opposite side – eventually the competitor is back at the top and cutting all the way through so that the top of the tree falls to the ground.

This competition tests an individual’s endurance across three disciplines, with competitors proving themselves in a 375mm single hand saw, a 300mm Underhand chop and a 300mm standing block chop!

Usually the first chop a competitor learns, underhand is when you stand on the log and swing the axe down between your legs – dangerously close to your toes! The competitor chops about halfway on one side before turning and continuing to chop the log from the other side until it splits in two.

The log is standing vertically as the competitor chops halfway through from one side before switching sides and cutting from the opposite side, finishing when the log splits in two and the top falls to the ground.

From Jack and Jill (two in a team, one male and one female) to double handed sawing (two competitors, one on each side of the saw, slicing a ring off a log) and relay events whereby team members take turns to cut a log, the woodchop and sawing competition at the Show is always thrilling and all competitors thrive off the motivating cheers of the crowd!

There may be everything from delicious scones to fluffy sponges on display, but competition inside the Arts & Crafts Pavilion is no piece of cake. Exhibitors competing in the baking and cake decorating sections are tasked with achieving perfection based on a strict set of judging guidelines. This is the only live judging event in Arts & Crafts! Both Exhibitors and Showgoers can listen, learn and be inspired by the judges’ comments as some of the State’s best judges taste, comment and judge. Discover the secrets to a perfect cake, scone, or biscuit, and see who will take out the coveted Most Successful Exhibitor Award in Open and Under 20’s Competitions.

The Australian Livestock & Property Agents (ALPA) Young Auctioneers Competitions held at the Show include the State and National Finals with finalists auctioning prize-winning Sydney Royal Purebred Steers, aiming to get the best price possible for the vendors whilst also impressing the panel of judges. Assessed on clarity, diction, manner and livestock value knowledge, the young auctioneers are also vying for the right to represent Australia in the International Livestock Auctioneers Competition at the Calgary Stampede.

This Extremely successful event is only held on 3 nights of the Show. A select “hand picked” group of Equestrians, including many Olympians, provide fast ,furious and entertaining showjumping competition, a must to watch and a real crowd pleaser.

The competition aims to celebrate and showcase the success of breeding studs by allowing them the chance to compete and receive feedback from knowledgeable and experienced Judges, with the added benefit of public exposure to their animals and studs.

In 1870, cats were surprisingly shown as an extra exhibit in the poultry competition, but in 1929 they were given their own competition and have been the cream of the crop ever since. The ADVANCE™ Sydney Royal Cat Show is recognised as one of the most prestigious competitions in the world for fancy felines, judged by breed, then group and finally by ring. The ultimate winner is then awarded Best in Show, also affectionately and unofficially to be known as ‘top cat’.

The Sydney Royal Dairy Goat Show is the largest and most prestigious in Australia, held in our world class venue. Showcasing Saanen, Toggenburg, British Alpine, Anglo-Nubian, Australian Melaan, Australian Brown, Nigerian Dwarf, Alpine, Lamancha & Sable breeds