THEY might look tough but the prize Hereford bulls competing for grand champion at the Royal Canberra Show have more hair products than are usually found in a long-haired woman's bathroom.
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The bulls usually cost between $5000 and $50,000, although one champion sold for $80,000 in Dubbo last year, so it's no wonder they are washed with a shampoo that brightens and whitens their markings and sprayed with Final Bloom for a special shine before being blow-dried.
Like his father before him, Andrew Green has been breeding cattle since he was old enough to look over the steering wheel of a car.
Herefords are his favourite and he compares his 1086-kilogram bull, Gold, to a spoilt child.
''He was junior and grand champion in Melbourne,'' Mr Green (pictured with Gold) said. ''He's in the 20-24-month bull class. We can't say he'll win, because it's all up for grabs. The judge has come from England and no one knows what types he's going to pick.''
Mr Green is showing one heifer and three Hereford bulls. The Royal Canberra Show was a great mix of agriculture and entertainment, he said. ''I haven't missed one since 1980. It's just a big country show - the biggest agriculture show outside of Sydney.''
