Central Hawke's Bay A&P show gets the green light

The Central Hawke's Bay A&P Show last year. Organisers have confirmed it will go ahead this year as planned on November 12-14. Photo / File

The Central Hawke's Bay A&P Show will go ahead as planned in Waipukurau next month.

Show association president David Poulton said the decision was made at a meeting of more than 20 committee members on Thursday night, with the committee considering all matters available in relation to the holding of the show amid the Covid-19 crisis.

"It was quite a long meeting," he said.

While at least 10 pre-Christmas A&P shows throughout New Zealand have been cancelled, the decision had been made that with the relaxation of alert levels the CHB show could go ahead on November 12-14, with all the traditional events.

There is expected to be some spinoff for competition entries as a result of the cancellation of the Wairarapa and Manawatū shows, which would normally have been held on the preceding two weekends.

Poulton said the sheep dog trials have already attracted over 100 entries and will be held over all three days, and equestrian events are also receiving good entries.

Entries for the shearing and woolhandling championships, a major last-day attraction, are also expected to be strong, following the Wairarapa and Manawatū cancellations, and have been among the biggest in shearing sports competitions throughout the country last season.

Another major attraction on the last day is the Saturday-evening bull riding.

The CHB decision means that all four Hawke's Bay shows are all expecting to go ahead this summer, starting with the Hawke's Bay A&P Show at Hawke's Bay Showgrounds Tomoana in Hastings, now spanning five days.

Three days of mainly competitor-only events starting open on October 21 and a four-day Mahon's Amusements fair ends on the Sunday of Labour weekend.

The Wairoa A&P Show is scheduled for January 14-16 and the Dannevirke show is on February 4-6.