Why Hawke's Bay could get a visit from royalty in next few years

Royal Agricultural Society president Geoff Smith at the Poverty Bay Sow last Saturday. Photo / Doug Laing

The Hawke's Bay A&P Show will remain the base for the Royal New Zealand Show for at least the next three years.

Confirmation came on Wednesday night from Royal Agricultural Society president Geoff Smith, of Waiuku, at a function at the end of the first day of the 2018 show which ends with the public holiday Show Day on Friday.

For about 80 years Hawke's Bay had hosted the royal show once every five years — in rotation with the Canterbury, Southland, Manawatū and Waikato.

But since 2015, Hawke's Bay's show has doubled as the royal show, the glamour event of 97 A&P shows throughout the country, and second in size only to the Canterbury Show (rebranded this year as the New Zealand Agricultural Show).

The extension raises the possibility Hastings could also be involved in a centennial Royal Show three years later as well as the possibility of a royal visit for the region for the first time in more than 30 years.

The last visit by a member of the British Monarch to the Royal Show was to Christchurch in 2008.

Hawke's Bay has been left off the downunder tour started by Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Australia this week.

At the show in Hastings yesterday, Smith said the RAS still had to "wrestle" with the desire of members to have a Royal Show in the South Island, but for now Hawke's Bay was home of "the" Royal Show.

With the showgrounds also home of the Horse of the Year Show, Hastings continues to host two of the four biggest rurally-based events in New Zealand, after the Canterbury show in Christchurch and the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton.

Smith told his audience last night he was particularly impressed by the numbers of children at the show for schools day.

"Many urban kids have no idea there is whole other world outside their suburb.

"The idea is to connect them with agriculture," he said. "This is great."