Mudgee’s Miss Showgirl is 24-year-old Tara Stokes.

Tara grew up on a cattle farm, taught orphans English in South Africa, marketed the cotton harvesting industry and now works in the environment and community sector at Ulan Coal mine.

She was named Mudgee Miss Showgirl last week, having been nominated by the Agricultural Societies Council and the Mudgee Show Society as the best candidate after several others pulled out of the local competition.

“It’s just starting to sink in now,” she said on Wednesday.

“There are so many people throughout your life that you meet and know, and everyone I’ve had association with has helped get me to this point, so to be representing them and my home community is pretty special for me.”

Ms Stokes completed a Bachelor of Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of New England before working as a marketing and logistics officer in the cotton and grain packing industry in Warren, where she first took part in the Showgirl competition.

“At every show as a kid, I’d see the Showgirls up there and think ‘I wish I could be like that’,” she said.

“Now that I’m back in my home town entering it for the second time, it’s really brought home the importance of community and family.

“The show is a big advocate for that – it really brings together the whole community and I’m really passionate about the support networks it promotes and entails, so I’m looking forward to getting more heavily involved in the planning and organisation behind it this year.”

Tara said she hoped to broaden the Mudgee Show’s demographic and promote it as “an educational experience rather than simply a day for the farmers and kids”.

“You can go to the show and learn about a broad range of lifestyles people are living around our region – from winemaking to people making jams and talented arts and crafts,” she said.

“I hope this year can be as much a personal development course for me as it can be a chance for me to help fill that gap of 18-30 year olds missing from the show.

“I want them to know that just because they haven’t grown up with agriculture or being a part of the show doesn’t mean they can’t learn about it, get involved and help it thrive.”

The Rylstone-Kandos Miss Showgirl is Emily Clapham from Ilford. Emily is currently studying for a Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery in Sydney, with ambitions to work as a rural medical practitioner.

The winner of the zone finals will compete in the state finals, with the chance to be crowned The 2012 Land Sydney Royal Showgirl.