"The bubble balls were fascinating. The show was really well done, we will definitely go again," she said.
The family's endorsement of the 116th Tauranga A&P; show was reflected by the gate takings, with more than 2000 people paying to experience a bit of country life.
Show secretary Sue Dennett said they had a wonderful day and received great feedback.
"You could see it in people's faces. It was just a relaxed and really enjoyable atmosphere."
Once all the competitors and their friends and families were counted, there would have been at least 3000 people at the show.
Mrs Dennett said the magical thing about A&P; shows was that it was a chance for city people to engage all their senses in things country - touch, sight, smell and hearing.
"It is a total thing. You can watch a horse on TV but it is not the same as real life, seeing the rippling muscles as they go to take a jump.
"The cattle were just beautiful and we were very pleased with the dairy entries. They had a really good day."
The piglet race captivated the crowd, with cute little eight to 10-week-old pigs racing to be first to sink their snouts in a trough of whey.
Mrs Dennett said the Tauranga show had always been considered a good equestrian event and entries had now reached the size where the competition spilled over into Sunday.
Organisers even thought they had recovered the missing solid silver Russian samovar trophy last seen in the 1980s and awarded in the show's home industries section. But sadly the tea urn owned by a Wellington couple did not match the description of the missing samovar.
"Hopefully it will turn up one day," Mrs Dennett said.
