Something for everyone at CHB A&P Show

Sophia Moore, Napier, on Premiere Edition, 80cm pony showjumping event - CHB Show, Central Hawke's Bay Show, Waipukurau. 10 November 2017 NEWS Hawke's Bay Today Photograph by Duncan Brown.

Dog trials and equestrian events were on the menu of the 105th CHB A&P Show in Waipukurau yesterday in the run up to the main public event today, featuring a smorgasbord of rural-themed activities with something for everyone.

CHB A&P Association president Chris Menzies said the show, a mixture of grassroots show events as well as some with a modern twist, was a great day out for the family.

"The great thing about the show is that everybody can come and there's always something of interest to somebody - it's a chance to unwind, to have a day off from the jobs at home."

A big focus for this association aside from the show this year had been the relocation of the former Oueroa School building to the showgrounds, where it would be transformed into new administrative headquarters to replace the existing office, he said.

Although not yet open, this building now sat on an elevated section in the middle of the grounds.

Carrying on from Thursday this week, some of New Zealand's top trialists were among the 188 entries for the Purina Tux New Zealand Yarding Challenge that continued yesterday, with the final run-off due to take place at midday today.

The competition was also a qualifier for the national challenge to be held in Taumarunui in January, and featured this month's Hawke's Bay Te Aute Dog Trial Club trials long head winner Bob Bruce.

For the last two days, the main oval had played host to a number of equestrian events, starting with the dressage on Thursday and show hunter, show jumping, ponies, pleasure ponies, and saddle hunter classes yesterday.

Yesterday morning Napier's Nicki Sunley took out the open champion title in the saddle hunter class, and the event to look out for today was the prestigious Champion of Champions, being awarded at 11.45am.

Today the action kicks off at 8am with the shearing and woolhandling competition, which will include the region's champion shearers John Kirkpatrick, Roland Smith and Cam Ferguson.

Current woolhandling world champions Joel Henare and Maryanne Baty will also put in an appearance.

At about the same time the pet lamb and calf competition would be held, followed by the fencing competition beginning at 8.30am.

Throughout the day people could peruse various trade exhibits and displays including wool and fleece, vintage machinery, vintage cars, highland dancing, Clydesdale horses, photography, baking and homecraft, Mahons sideshows and from 10am a children's zoo would be open, offering an opportunity to touch and stroke a variety of small animals and birds.

In addition, notable local artist Richard Moorhead would be giving a demonstration of his craft.

A perennial favourite at the show was the terrier racing event, which would be held at 12.30pm and a new canine event at 1.30pm for people to enter was a "dog show" where the pooches would vie for titles in a number of fun categories such as best dog and owner lookalike, biggest dog, smallest dog, and the dog the judge would most like to take home.

Also starting at 1.30pm was the Top Team Challenge - putting teams of six through their paces across a number of obstacles including such challenges as the slippery pole and the wool bale roll.

At the end of last month the second annual CHB Fast n' Furious Trolley Derby was held at Pukeora hill, and from 2pm some of those competitors would embark on a revenge match, with one in the cart as a driver and one pushing the cart as the "engine".

As well as a chance to see the handiwork put into creating the carts, these daredevils would be competing for prizes for smartest car, 1/4 mile drag and a Bathurst circuit race, including a Le Mans start and pitstops to change drivers and engines.

From 3pm a live band would play through until 6pm, just before the bull riding event, the first in the seven-round 2017/18 Parklee Bull riding Series, the gates for which would open at 5pm.