AFTER a three-year break due to COVID, the Heytesbury show was back on the first weekend in March, stronger than ever, and the Simpson Recreation Reserve came alive with a “fantastic” crowd numbers and strong numbers entered in the cattle and horse events.
Show secretary Linda White was really pleased with how the day went.
“We had an excellent show and the weather was just perfect,” she said. Crowd numbers on the day were fantastic, with approximately 1000 adults and just under 600 kids through the gates.
There was a wide range of family entertainment, with Bebop Circus and Highwire performance keeping the kids on their toes. Other attractions for the kids included Animals of Oz, Face Painting, a Giant Sandpit, balloon sculpting and an animal nursery filled with cuddly animals for the kids to pet. If that didn’t keep the kids happy, then there were several large inflatables for them to burn off energy on, and pet parades and dog jumping competitions as well.
Whilst the kids were entertained the parents could take a look at the skilful chainsaw carving by BK Carving, or browse their way through the vintage cars on display. There were also various food vendors and other stalls on display, for a snack or a touch of retail therapy.
The home craft pavilion was one not to miss, with hundreds of entries in various categories on display. Again, the dahlia display was extensive, with dozens of breathtaking blooms to see.
Sheep showing continued in 2023, with good numbers and quality of animals entered. Patrons were happy to see the sheep on display, although they aren’t as scarce in the Heytesbury as they once were, with a number of dairy farms being converted to sheep in recent times.
The dairy cattle sections, however, were still strong, with entry numbers plentiful.
There were Jerseys, Friesians, Brown Swiss, Ayrshires and other cattle on display, being shown by young and old. The cattle pavilion was again humming, with many camping at the grounds for the full weekend. The crowds watched with interest as the cows and calves were washed, trimmed, brushed and polished to perfection by handlers of all ages.
Equine events proved popular, with horses and riders from all corners of the state taking part in various jumping events.
A major draw card again was the mystery showbag activity, where young show goers paid $5 for a bucket which they then used to collect items from around 15 stalls along the way. All 250 of the buckers were sold out shortly after lunch, again showing the popularity of the ‘original and best’ mystery showbag!
For something different in 2023, the show was preceeded by a cattle sale at the pub on the Saturday night. The Settlement Sale was a big success, with around 35 dairy heifers and cows selling for an average of $5335 per head. The top lot of the night, the pick of two young heifers by Instyle Holsteins, made an impressive $11,000.
The sale was conducted by Brian Leslie of DLS, in conjunction with Elite Auctions who ran the online bidding portion of the sale, with over 400 people logging on online. However, the success of the night was down to the dedicated work of local organisers Judson Jennings and Fiona Hanks, who put in countless hours to make the event happen.
Local agricultural shows have had an extremely tough few years through COVID, with the likes of Heytesbury missing the past two years. The work put in by the small committee to ensure the show’s survival is truly amazing. Events such as these are vital for small communities, as they see locals come together and many farming families get a welcome day off-farm. For a show such as the Heytesbury to have clocked up 87 years, it really is a testament to how valued it is by the locals, and I’m sure they are looking forward to another successful show in 2024!
