They thought the drought might put a dampener on the huge annual schools' equestrian expo at Coonabarabran - but then it went the opposite way and rained just a little during the five-day event.
The heavens opened up briefly on late Sunday during the event with at least 400 schoolchildren accompanied by parents and teachers from all around NSW filling the showgrounds and racecourse at Coonabarabran.
Gundagai High school competed for the first time. About 600 horses were stabled for the event, that winds up on Tuesday.
Equestrian expo secretary Rebecca Moxham said the expo had run smoothly and Coonabarabran was abuzz with the influx of people.
"It's been extremely safe and a great show of sportsmanship," she said. "The town's busy and Rotary are doing a great job as well as the P&C. We were happy with a little light rain to help settle the dust."
A big end of event party is planned for Monday night, as the event winds up on Tuesday.
