For the past four years, I have wandered the cattle stalls at the Royal Melbourne Show admiring the award-winners.
But that was where my interest in cattle stopped.
No matter how hard I tried to work out what had led to particular bulls being selected as winners, after a while they all started to look the same.
Of course I knew being able to perform in the romance department played a large part, but that was one thing I was happy not to witness.
But with the Berwick Show next weekend, I decided it was time to broaden my knowledge - and what better way to answer my questions than to visit one of the areas longest and most successful breeders, the Furborough family.
Born into a family of Berwick dairy farmers, there was never any question that Allan Furborough would carry on the cattle tradition.
In 2000, after working on his father's dairy farm for many years, Allan and his wife Jill moved onto beef farming. They established the Buchanan Park Welsh Black cattle stud in Tynong.
But it took two years before the family started showing the breed.
"It is good to do things with your family because they are so important to us," Jill says.
Daughter Karen Chipperfield, who helps in the preparation and showing of the animals, says even her two sons are keen to keep the family tradition going.
"The boys were initially the photographers from the sidelines, but now that they are four and six they can come along and help.
"The eldest has even handled one of them in the ring."
The Furboroughs are no strangers to success, winning major prizes at The Royal Melbourne Show for the past six years.
"We were never out to be in situation we are in now," Jill says.
"We started out exhibiting a couple at the Melbourne Show in 2002 but it has just grown from there.
"The showing has been very successful, we've won a lot of interbreed competitions against all other beef breeds.
"It is wonderful because Welsh Blacks are not as popular as other breeds," Jill says.
"But what we have won is just the reward for the effort we have put into the farm."
Karen says that when it comes to Australia's cattle, Welsh Blacks probably made up less than 1 per cent of the population.
"For a minority breed to win a competition, competing at the same level as some of the more popular breeds is fantastic."
Allan says some of the success is due to the breed's good nature.
"They are a very hardy breed and they have a good temperament, so they do really well.
"Plus their carcass yielding is very high.
"That is what the butcher is looking for, the best cut of meat."
Karen says the secret of creating a successful breed is being able to identify and correct the problems before reproduction.
She says "culling" unwanted characteristics was difficult but breeders had to be "self-disciplined in their selection".
"It means not keeping an animal [that you have identified problems with] because the same things will come out in future generations.
"That is what the breeding industry is all about, choosing the best you've got and breeding on from there.
"But as a breeder, you are never happy, never satisfied with what you've got."
When it comes to show cattle, presenting the best that a breed has to offer is not an easy task.
The whole process takes hours of preparation, including a full shampoo and condition, a blow dry and style.
"We have to use all manner of combs and brushes to make sure that the hair is all pointing in the right direction," Karen says.
"They have to be prepared so their best attributes are on show."
When it comes to winning competitions, the judges are looking for a strong masculine appearance, testicular structure and frame.
The way a bull walks is also taken into account, with Karen explaining it is all about "having good legs so they can chase the ladies".
At the Royal Melbourne Show a bull's fat coverage and eye muscle area is also taken into account.
In the heifer categories, the judges are looking at the size, femininity and balance of the animal. The shape of the utters and legs can also sway a judge's decision.
But Karen says that despite the strong competition, the atmosphere in the "cattle world" as she calls it is never one of animosity.
Instead, she says it is one of the friendliest groups you could meet.
"Everyone is always willing to help one another. Sometimes we even show each others animals in the ring if they get really stuck.
"It is nice to be involved in that sort of community."
But life on the farm has not been easy over the past few years, with many of the animals having been affected by drought.
Allan says it is an "inherited dedication to animals" which has kept him going strong. "We just do what needs to be done. It is really a tradition, it is something that you do and you do it to the best that you can."
The Berwick Show is on this weekend at Akoonah Park. Cattle judging will take place on Saturday morning, with winners announced early afternoon.
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