As the first High Country show of the season, the Nimmitabel Show Society certainly set the bar high and society president John Alcock couldn’t have been happier with the day.
“Looking around at first,” he said following the official opening,.
“I was worried that numbers weren’t up to scratch, but then I realised that the car parks were full and that I’d been focusing on people around the main arena.
“After a bit of a walk about I saw that there were big crowds watching the activities spread around the whole ground – things like the chain saw races, the shearing and the dog trials – then I felt pleased as punch.”
A focus on junior events also resulted in families making a day out in support of their youngsters. John’s daughter Maryanne had a busy day coordinating junior judging and parading in the sheep and beef cattle sections.
“We’ve benefited from some great local sponsors,”Maryanne explained.
“And Clubs NSW is promoting the whole junior judging sector across the state, so we’ve been able to expand the competition. This year for example, we’ve had not just local kids, but others who’ve come from Bega and as far away as Cobargo and Narooma. It’s been great and we’ve been able to select a really fine bunch of young people who will now go on to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.”
Another feature of the show was the growing number of young women stepping into what have been traditionally considered men’s activities. Ellen McCarthy from Nimmitabel for example blitzed the boys in her heat of the chain saw disc cutting competition, and Abbey Boreham from Cobargo set good times in the shearing contest.
When the skies opened and rain started falling at almost exactly 3pm, committee and horse steward Michael Green summed up the general feeling that no doubt a good many people had.
“Weather wise it’s been a perfect day – not too hot nor too cold, and that’s pretty amazing for Nimmitabel where it’s almost always one thing or the other. Even this rain has started when most scheduled events are done and dusted and people have had a good day. And of course, no-one ever complains about rain on the Monaro,” Michael said.
