Dozens of trophies have been given their annual shine in readiness for the Royal New Zealand Show in Hastings this week.
The show, the second year of a three-year contract the Hawke's Bay A and P Society has with the Royal Agricultural Society for the Royal Show rights, runs for three days, starting on Wednesday and finishing on Friday, traditionally known as Show Day, or the Hawke's Bay Anniversary day public holiday.
Thousands of entries have been received in the dozens of classes including equestrian, shearing, axe sports, farm fencing and sheep dog events and cattle, sheep, fleece, alpaca, pig and poultry showing classes, along with home industries classes, complemented by the entertainment including sideshows, stage performances, and displays in the Taste Hawke's Bay Pavilion.
Major events include the Grand Parade, World Cup showjumping qualifying and the crucial last points rounds of New Zealand shearing and woolhandling World Championships events, all on the last day.
The Metservice weather forecast indicates fine weather on opening day, Wednesday, showers on Thursday and rain with southerlies on Friday.
More than a century and a half is represented in the Hawke's Bay Show which was first held in 1863. It is the second, and biggest, of a succession of A and P Shows in the lower North Island.
The Poverty Bay A and P Show, which started in Gisborne over the weekend, the Wairarapa show at Clareville on October 28-30, the Manawatu show in Feilding on November 5-6, and the Central Hawke's Bay Show in Waipukurau on November 10-12.
Hawke's Bay's remaining A and P shows during the summer are at Wairoa on January 19-21, and Dannevirke on February 3-5.