Cassandra Bush won her zone in the Young Woman Competition before competing at the state level. Photo: Cootamundra Show Society.
Cootamundra woman and associate lawyer Cassandra Bush has won the state title in The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman Competition, an award that recognises the commitment of young women to agriculture and community engagement.
Cassie first had to win the Young Woman Competition at her local agricultural show, which allowed her to represent her region to vie for the state title.
Representing Zone 7, defined by the competition organiser the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS), Cassie stood out among the 15 finalists from across the state, all of whom are passionate and accomplished rural women.
“We are so ecstatic of this fantastic achievement and are so proud to have you represent our show society and community,” the Cootamundra Show Society announced on Facebook of Cassie’s state win.
Although raised on her family’s Hereford farm in the Cootamundra region, Cassie’s quest for education has taken her further north, and she is a recent graduate with a double degree in agriculture and law from the University of New England.
Working in a commercial law firm specialising in the catastrophic injury and large loss insurance sector in Sydney, Cassie eventually plans to return to rural NSW to pursue the rural lifestyle, with a mission of starting her own Hereford cattle operation and establishing her own legal practice.
The competition itself, known by most as the Young Woman Competition, has been run by the RAS since 1962 but really came of age in 2022 when The Sydney Royal Easter Show’s Miss Showgirl Competition was renamed.
Despite the change of name, the primary goal of the competition remains the same: to identify female ambassadors for agriculture in rural communities. The women are judged by a panel of three judges on personality, confidence, ambition and life goals, general knowledge, rural knowledge, presentation and speech.
Cassandra Bush (second from right) with her peers in Zone 7. Photo: Cootamundra Show Society.
The 2025 zone finalists were women embedded in their communities with a broad range of skills and backgrounds.
Emily Lucas from Cooma represented Zone 3. Growing up on a mixed farming enterprise in the Snowys region, Emily is studying a Bachelor of Animal Science at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.
Claire Liversidge from Goulburn, who also represented Zone 3, is a volunteer member of the Goulburn Show Society, has represented NSW at a national level in the Young Farmers Challenge and works for Elders Real Estate.
Also in Zone 7, along with Cassie, was Brianna Pilon, representing the Weethalle Show. Well versed in the agricultural show circuit, Brianna serves on two show societies in her region and is a primary school teacher at St Francis Xavier School in Lake Cargelligo.
“The finalists all display great insight and knowledge about the very real issues facing rural NSW. They are deeply involved with their communities and are dedicated, confident and fitting ambassadors for their regions,” said the RAS of this year’s contestants.
As the state winner Cassie will perform a range of public and ambassadorial duties for RAS, including attending events and fostering community spirit and awareness for NSW agricultural shows and highlighting issues pertinent to rural communities.
