Mr Taylor (22) took part in an auctioneering event and also competed as a bareback rider in an annual transtasman rodeo challenge.
Last year, he won the Young Auctioneer of the Year event at the Canterbury A and P Show.
Part of his prize was a trip to Sydney for the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association's equivalent competition at the Royal Show.
His trip began with the ALPA Young Auctioneers competition dinner and sponsors night at Darling Harbour.
There were 350 people at the dinner and, at the end of the night, the 2016 Australian champion and Mr Taylor conducted a charity auction.
The next day was spent at the show where Mr Taylor had to research three steers that he would later sell.
''After finding and researching the stock we'd be selling, we had to sell in an indoor theatre that seats about 3000 people.
''We sold three steers each. One of my Limousin steers made $3400 and weighed only 450kg. They had a lot of high-end butchers and steak houses there buying the steers.''
Mr Taylor enjoyed both that experience and also representing New Zealand in rodeo again - he was part of the New Zealand team that competed last year as well - and he was fourth on the first night but ''didn't have much luck after that''.
Mr Taylor grew up at Rakaia and he was drum major in the St Andrew's College Pipe Band, setting a world record when he tossed his mace about 10.4m in the air.
He left school at the end of year 12 to work in a rural merchandising store. Shortly before his 18th birthday, he joined South Island-based independent livestock broking firm Peter Walsh and Associates.
Winning the Young Auctioneer of the Year had already had a positive effect on his career and allowed his boss and colleagues to have a bit more faith in his ability to sell confidently, he said.
''Entering and winning the ... competition has been a great social and learning experience. You get the chance to pit your skills against some of the best gavel bangers in the country.
''Along with the great feedback from judges, you pick up a lot of different sayings and styles from listening to the others and it really broadens your horizons. As my boss Peter Walsh keeps telling me: 'The world's best auctioneer hasn't been invented yet'.''
Entries for this year's competition open in August.