She is also Bathurst’s reigning showgirl, and tonight Abby will take part in the zone final against 21 other women.

It has been a busy year for Miss Crumpler, 24, since she was crowned Bathurst showgirl in April last year.

Not only is she in her third, and final, year as a Bachelor of Exercise Science student at Charles Sturt University, she is also busy forging her place in the world.

Being a showgirl is more than just one day, according to the ambitious young woman, it is setting yourself up with a multitude of skills for life.

“You meet the elite of Bathurst and get to talk to heaps of people you wouldn’t normally have spoken to or met,” she said.

Miss Crumpler said showgirl competitions were just as relevant as they had always been, and they were definitely not a beauty pageant.

“It’s about promoting agriculture in our youth and helping young women get involved in agriculture,” she said.

Miss Crumpler’s time as showgirl has increased her desire to volunteer and help others in her local community, and she already has a local group in her sights.

“I’d like to volunteer in the future, and I’d like to volunteer with Riding for the Disabled,” she said.

“I’m really passionate about horses and their healing ability.

“When you’re feeling down and less than joyful and you go and spend time with them you instantly feel better.

“I’ve always had horses since I was young and I love riding. It’s a bit of a disease really.”

At tonight’s zone final she will be competing against women from as far west as Bourke and Nyngan.

As the final is being held in her home town, Miss Crumpler will be the first to take part in question time in front of the gala dinner crowd, something she is a little nervous about.

“I’ll be asked a series of questions in front of everyone and I’m on stage first because it’s my home town,” she said.

“I think I’ll be more nervous waiting ... but, putting myself up first has benefits to it.

“I’m a little nervous because there’s so many girls and so many are really impressive and intimidating, I think it’s going to be a tough competition.”

Another part of tonight’s final will be a board interview, of around 20 minutes, in front of three judges.

“It’s usually about agriculture – locally, nationally and internationally – what’s been happening internationally and how it’s affecting us,” she said.

The recent hepatitis A cases from berries imported from China demonstrates how important Australian-made produce should be to consumers, according to Miss Crumpler

“I think people are certainly aware of it now because it’s in their faces and it’s on TV, it’s a real scare factor,” she said.

“It just shows that you should be buying locally. I try and buy locally or Australian made as much as possible.”

While her reign as Bathurst showgirl might be winding down, the next two months will be busy in the lead up to the Royal Bathurst Show on April 17-19.

“I’ll be helping to promote this year’s Bathurst Showgirl competition and helping them to get entries,” she said.

The top three women from tonight’s zone final will take part in the grand final at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in late March.

Bathurst Showgirl co-ordinator Vicki Wilson said 600 women from across the state took part in this year’s competition.

Ms Wilson said the city was put forward as a host for the 2015 zone final to coincide with Bathurst’s bicentenary.

Entries for this year’s Bathurst Showgirl competition are now open, with forms available from the show office at Bathurst Showground.

For more information contact Vicki Wilson on 0448 828 369.

Entry is available to women aged 18 to 24 years old. Entries close April 6, 2015.