Horowhenua AP&I Show sheep and home industries awarded royal status

The winning sheep at the 2021 Horowhenua AP&I Show will also win Royal Event ribbons.

Horowhenua's annual AP&I Show for 2021 to be held on January 23-24 has scooped Royal status for its Home Industries and Sheep sections, which is a much-coveted honour.

As a rule, one AP&I show gets Royal status each year and for the past few years that has been going to the Hastings show.

This year though, because of Covid-19, the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS), which awards Royal status to shows or events within shows, has allowed the Royal show status to be separated out, so the Stratford event received the Royal status for its dairy and beef sections last month.

And Horowhenua has been awarded Royal event status for Home Industries and Sheep.

The biggest excitement is just having the Royal Show status, as that is a huge honour and means the show will attract more participants and competitors than ever.

If the borders were open the show would have attracted many international exhibitors and breeders too.

Royal events were introduced in 2001 and having Royal status means the RAS Supreme Champion Medal and red, white and blue ribbons are awarded to supreme champions in these sections.

In 2018 RAS Champion Medals and ribbons were also introduced.

Annual membership of the Horowhenua AP&I Show costs $40 for a family of four and includes two adult and two children's tickets to the annual show plus a car pass for both Saturday and Sunday in January 2021.

Tickets will be available to be collected from the office two weeks prior to the show up to 3pm on Friday, January 22.

Membership can be ordered online: https://www.levinapishow.co.nz/product/1431344 or from the office: 063686539, 33 Victoria St, Levin.