Attendance was estimated at 15,500, which is a couple of thousand fewer than last year.

According to officials, the drop was caused by swine flu, the fact the Mackay Sugar Ltd crush had already started and the financial crisis.

Evidently, people didn't stay as long as they usually do and less food was purchased by families, with kids being made to share rather than each being given a cup of chips.

The Boer goat section was a casualty of the good season, as goats don't do well in wet conditions and not enough were entered to warrant importing a judge for the event.

However, a couple of local studs took animals along to keep the breed in front of the public.

Entries were high for the trade cattle section, with 140 head judged by Teys Brothers buyer Michael Young.

The feature class of a pen of three local trade went to Burton Pastoral Company, Burton Downs, Nebo.

The grand champion beast was also from Nebo, entered by the Comerford Brothers, Turrawulla.

The champion female was entered by EG and IF Vella, Farleigh, and the combined entries of the Lake Elphin-stone draft, also from Nebo, made the station the overall points winner.

In the stud section, the stud bull of the show was Silent Grove Stormboy, a Brangus, from Rob Dun's Silent Grove Stud, Calen.

The stud female of the show and grand champion exhibit was Apis Creek Matilda, from the Olive family's Brahman Stud at Marlborough.

The log chopping was hotly contested, with a team of nine choppers from New Zealand who took out more than their share of the prizes.

There were also competitors from Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.

The grand champion axeman was H Winkel from Victoria, and the 300mm standing tree was won by NSW axeman George Quigg.

*More pictures in this week’s North Queensland Register, out Thursday.