THE beef industry may have changed considerably since Ray Phillips first judged the Gatton Droughtmaster Futurity Show, but the qualities he looks for in cattle have not.
This Saturday, the 30th annual Gatton Droughtmaster Futurity Show will be held at the Gatton Showgrounds, with 25 studs exhibiting 115 head of cattle.
Mr Phillips, Sunny View Stud, Kingaroy, said the futurity was set up to inspire confidence in new people starting off in the industry.
He proposed the idea to the Droughtmaster Breeders Society board, who decided to run with it. They asked if Mr Phillips would be the judge at the inaugural event, which took place in 1986.
Mr Phillips said judging at a futurity differed slightly from features and royal shows. The characteristics of how an animal might look in the future were considered, he said, instead of solely making a decision based on how they looked on the day.
"For me, they must have breed type, masculinity in bulls and good heads on animals - bulls that walk well and are structurally sound," he said.
"In females I look for femininity and I don't like over-muscular females; I like to see flat-boned females.
"It is part of my dairy DNA - flat-boned females are the ones that produce and rear calves well."
Mr Phillips, who also judged at the 10th and 20th Gatton Droughtmaster Futurity Shows, praised the support of exhibitors, the society and Queensland Country Life journalists, including the late Malcolm McCosker.
Although Mr Phillips had not judged at any shows for the past few years, he said it was a request he could not say no to and something he felt honoured to do.
"I haven't changed my mind - I'm still looking for the same animal I was 30 years ago.
"I haven't gone with some of the newer trends and I think muscling has become a little bit overdone."