Funds raised from the steer will go towards the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and in past years has made as much as $45,000, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in total.

Students have been meticulously preparing two Simmental steers they’ve named ‘Digger’ and ‘Anzac’ - of course in honour of this year being the Centenary of Gallipoli.

It was through former Harden resident Keith Prosser that the school was chosen for their continued affiliation with the charity steer after Schute Bell Badgery Lumby decided they wanted students to raise the beef rather than studs approximately eight years ago.

At last weigh-in Anzac tipped the scales at 540kg while Digger weighed 520kg.

Both steers have been fed a diet of 40 per cent grain with ad lib oaten hay and finished with two kilograms of rolled barley on top of that for the last month.

Farm Club supervisor Jan Young said prior to heading off to Sydney she and the students were extremely happy with the fat cover and weight of each animal.

They came to the school as weiners last September with students given the brief to feed, look after and prepare both steers.

At the last minute representatives from Schute Bell Badgery Lumby decide which one becomes the charity steer.

Both animals had their merits according to Jan with Anzac a better looking animals expressing superior muscle tone. As a ‘softer’ steer, she anticipated Digger would eat better.

Each year a different breed of cattle is chosen for the project. In the past the students have prepared Charolais, Angus and Herefords which this year the larger-boned European breed Simmental was chosen.

The auction of the charity steer will take place today in the Amphitheatre at the show around lunchtime.

Holding the hammer and doing the calling for the auction will be representatives from the Young Auctioneers competition.