THOUSANDS of locals and visitors braved the cold weather on Sunday and flooded the Hamilton Showgrounds to celebrate the long-awaited return of Sheepvention, after three years of COVID-19 cancellations.

The official event launch took place in the Sheep Pavilion, with Sheepvention president, Kathryn Robertson, addressing the crowd and expressing her excitement at finally being able to hold the event after such a long hiatus.