Putting on a Show . . . in Wairoa

Set to go: New Wairoa A&P Show event manager Alice Wilson and her dad, and wool section convenor, Fenton Wilson. Pictures supplied

On a day when East Coast and Hawke's Bay people were wondering what was next after copping hundreds of millimetres of of rainfall in just a few days, Wairoa A&P Society president Ian Denton was a beacon of hope.

As he looked down from Te Uhi Hill late yesterday morning, the rain and overnight drizzle had stopped, and it was “hot and sunny” — a homage to the volunteers who make Northern Hawke's Bay's biggest annual event happen each year.

The Wairoa A&P Show, which dates back to a ram sale and show at Frasertown in 1899, will be held at the Wairoa showgrounds on January 20-21.

The trip to town will be extended for the equestrian sector with the Wairoa Jumping Show on the 22nd.

About 25 people turned up for the traditional pre-show working bee on Sunday. Jobs were done in less than half a day, with only one lament from the man in the chair: “There weren't enough blokes.”

No one was worried about the inclemency of the weather.

“If you were working hard, you didn't get time to stop and get wet,” an impressed Mr Denton said.

Among the tasks was the extending of the sheep pens — ironic considering the diminishing numbers of farm livestock at A&P shows throughout the country.

Event manager Alice Wilson, whose mum Sue is a former secretary and event manager and whose dad Fenton is the Show's wool section manager, says the pens will provide good space for those still showing stock, including the black and coloured sheep, which have an increasingly special place in the Show.

On the Saturday of the Show, the public will be able to follow a fleece from shearing through spinning (by members of the Wairoa Woolly Wanderers spinning group) to completion of a garment in front of the pavilion on the fringes of the equestrian circle.

Much of the attraction of the Show is showjumping and the central events of rodeo, shearing and sheep dog trials.

These are held alongside each other east of the main oval, fairground and trade displays.

The “local” rodeo and speed shear provide a double-bill Friday-night attraction, leading into the nationally registered rodeo championships and the Wairoa Shears on the Saturday.

Sandwiched between the Gisborne Rodeo this weekend (January 14-15) and the Upper Mohaka Rodeo near the State Highway 5 landmark of the Mohaka Bridge on January 22, the Wairoa rodeo attracts competitors from throughout the North Island.

The Shears, despite being shearing only, has in recent years attracted more entries than any of the other five Shearing Sports New Zealand competitions held on the same weekend — two of which, in Southland, also have woolhandling competitions.

However, Mr Denton, who began farming as a 17-year-old shepherd in 1962 and who has competed at the Show in equestrian, rodeo and dog trials, is worried by the lower-than-usual numbers for this year's trials.

Fewer than 50 entries had been received by official closing on December 30, but have remained open, with potential competitors urged to “get in behind, smartly”.

It is possible the trials, historically run over two days and with entries sometimes totalling over 100, could be limited to one day.

The show is the third of four A&P shows in Hawke's Bay each year. The Hawke's Bay show is in Hastings in October; the Central Hawke's Bay show is in Waipukurau in November; and the Dannevirke show runs from February 3 to 5.

■ A post on the Wairoa A&P Show Facebook page said an announcement would be made no later than 5pm on Wednesday, January 18, regarding the equestrian events.

“Please continue to put your entries in to help us keep the event flowing. If we decide to cancel the equestrian events on Wednesday, all equestrian competitors will get a full refund.”