Last year's event was cancelled due to the drought conditions and it has once again been difficult with little rain in the past months.

But producers have come on board to support the event, which starts at 9am, by supplementary feeding cattle with 50 head entered.

The judge this year is Greg Ball, from Singleton. Greg is a renowned judge of cattle on the hoof and also in the stud cattle ring. He has judged in NSW, Queensland and New Zealand.

Greg and his wife Leonie run a beef cattle enterprise at Bowmans Creek and have a wide knowledge of all aspects of the beef industry.

Secretary of the Dungog-Gresford Land and Beef group Nerelle Hand said this year's event will see some changes in the structure of the classes with the introduction of light weight, middle and heavy weight rather than exact cut off weights in each class.

"The benefit will be more even numbers per class," she said.

"We will still be having the pair of steers and heifers classes which will be judged separately.

"The Grand Champion animal can be selected from either individual classes or the pairs as seen fit by the judge."

This will be the first time since the inception of the hoof and hook competition about 30 years ago that the group will use its own cattle scales.

"In the past we have borrowed from generous producers but due to the success of an application to Dungog Council under the Community Small Grants Program of $2000 and our supplementation we have purchased a set of Gallagher Cattle Scales," said Mrs Hand.

The cattle will be killed at Wingham Export Beef abattoirs on the Monday and judged on the hook by staff at the abattoirs.

All championship awards for hoof and hook will be announced at the presentation dinner on Friday night, April 12 at Dungog RSL club.

Mrs Hand said everyone is welcome to attend the dinner and tickets can be pre purchased at the judging morning or by contacting 0488590659.