International Rural Women's Day 2020: Tamworth lady of the land Rosemary Clifton operating stud Clifton Cattle

She did it because she loved the land.

And even in retirement, she hasn't reined it in.

Mrs Clifton was raised on a farm, and has worked for the past 25 years or so on her family's cattle property outside Tamworth.

After retiring from work as a full time school teacher a few years ago, she's kept her hands and mind busy by registering and operating a Limousin and Angus stud, and following the show circuit with her stock.

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"After 40 years of educating, I needed something to stimulate me, so diving into all the genetics of breeds has kept me very busy," she told the Leader.

Rural Women's Day was marked on Thursday, and while Mrs Clifton doesn't consider herself a trailblazer, her commitment and determination has helped Clifton Cattle thrive.

"I'm left to do most of the cattle work on the property, and my husband is coerced into helping out on the weekends and when he finishes truck driving all day," she said.

"I'm just getting on with what I'm doing, I wasn't worried whether other women were doing it or not and I think people have realised now that I'm here to stay and I get on well with all of them.

"A lot of women have made a huge impact in the stud and cattle industry in general, there are a lot of women out there breeding fantastic cattle."

It hasn't been a smooth trot though.

Mrs Clifton said earlier decades spent as a working mother, while helping run a property full of animals, was "extremely difficult" at times.

"Anyone that says it's easy, well, I don't think they're telling the truth," she said.

"It's because I had a love of the land that I did it, you just do in life what you can do, and I can just fit a lot in a day.

"I think it has instilled in my children that if you work hard, you do well."

Mrs Clifton said more opportunities seem to be opening for rural women, and her school teacher streak shines through as she strives to help more young people get their boots in the door.

"What I've always enjoyed is working with young people, so I've often rung the local high school before a show and offer for students to come and help with the show, and I love that involvement with the young adults," she said.

"I think there are more and more women getting involved in agriculture, there is no two ways about it.

"I still think sometimes people think that because you're a woman, you may not know as much ... but I choose to work with people who respect everybody, whether they're a woman or a man."

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