The show starts on Friday, with the shire’s kids already planning their rides and showbags wish list.

Great display for art and photography

THE arts are bigger and better than ever at the Gunnedah Show this year, with record entries for both art and photography.

The Art and Photography Pavilion is adjacent to the Wool Pavilion and conveners Maree Kelly (art) and Chris Burgess (photography) are excited about its opening night.

“We had lots of new exhibitors in the photography section this year, which is great to see,” Mr Burgess said.

“The high quality of the entries is fantastic.”

The grand champion photographer will receive $200 in prize money and a trophy.

Professional photographer Matt Miegel was the judge for this year’s event.

The art section gained a further 100 entries than last year’s event.

“We have 250 entries all up, the novice section is full this year,” Mrs Kelly said.

“I’m really pleased to see young and upcoming artists having a go.”

The major art prize will be announced tomorrow night, with the grand champion winner taking home $1000.

This year’s judge was renowned artist and former Gunnedah woman Yvette Huegill.

All works have been judged and the official opening will be held on Friday night from 6pm.

The opening night is held in conjunction with the 2015 Gunnedah Showgirl competition, with entrants invited to speak at the event.

All are invited to attend the event with tickets available for $10 from the show office, the Work of Art Community Gallery or from Maree Kelly. Tickets are also available at the door.

Children’s activities galore

THERE is plenty on offer for the children at this year’s Gunnedah Show.

There are the usual favourites including sideshow alley and various rides.

The animal nursery is up and running again for this year’s event with the $1 entry fee to go towards Gunnedah Riding for Disabled and Gunnedah Poultry Club.

There will be a pet handling area where children can feed, touch and hold baby animals, as well as a display of larger animals such as pigs, sheep, long horn cattle, goats, ducks, ponies and more.

There will be day-old chickens and ducklings for purchase.

The animal nursery is open from 10.30am-6pm on Friday and Saturday from 8.30am to 6pm.

Murphy’s Puppets are a new addition to the show, and will be performing throughout the day on Saturday near the Griffiths Pavilion from 10am.

It’s said to be a “rollicking family show” that captivates audiences of all ages.

Free face painting near sideshow alley will be held from 2pm until 6pm.

Another new addition will be the lolly drop at 2.30pm near the grand parade.

The Gunnedah Show Society Pet Spectacular will start at 1pm near the Griffiths Pavilion on Saturday. Entry is free with prizes for first, second and third place.

Pet categories include: Smallest pet, biggest pet, cutest pet, ugliest pet, best cat, best dog, best owner and pet lookalike, best presented pet, champion dry food eater, best guinea pig, rabbit or hamster, best bird and best insect. The grand champion best pet will receive $50 and a champion ribbon.

Polish up those utes

THE Gunnedah Ute Show will be held on Saturday at 12 noon near the South Street gate entrance.

Entrants must pay entry to the showground, as well as a $5 fee per category.

There are eight categories and five sub-categories, including best Holden, best Ford, best BNS, best 4WD, best chicks, best street, best feral, best show pony, loudest 6, loudest 8, people’s choice, grand champion and runner-up.

Judging and sound-off to be conducted at 12 noon with cash prizes for the winners.

People’s choice, grand champion and runner-up will be judged after the grand parade in the main arena. All utes must go in the grand parade. For more information phone Simon Gainsford on 0427 293 491.

Plenty in the pavilions

THE Gunnedah Show pavilions will be a hive of activity this weekend.

Pottery demonstrations will be held near the Art and Photography Pavilion, from 9.30am-7.30pm.

A spinners and weavers shed is a new addition to this year’s line-up of events. Demonstrations and hand-made articles will be for sale from 10am to 5pm.

The cooking section in the Griffiths Pavilion has attracted a healthy prize purse with Gunnedah Toyota sponsoring the six plain scones ($50), plain sponge ($200), orange cake ($200), sultana cake ($100) and men’s cooking section with a chocolate cake ($100). 

Namoi Flour Mill’s special prizes include cash for the best home made damper ($50), a loaf of bread ($50 and six patty cakes ($50). The champion cook will also receive a trophy.

Jams, jellies, pickles, relishes and chutneys will be judged at this year’s show once again.Gunnedah Toyota has donated $100 for the best jar of tomato relish.

Some horticulture sections are still open to entries, with cut flowers to be delivered on Friday, April 17 from 7.30am to 11.30am. Floral arrangements will also be accepted Friday morning. 

The champion of show will receive the Rene Sanders Memorial Trophy and the highest score for cut flowers will receive a prize from the Porcelain Art Group. Most successful exhibitor, Joan Avard Memorial trophy for bowl of mixed roses, champion chrysanthemum and champion arrangement are other highlights of the horticulture section.

The children of Gunnedah will showcase their literacy skills and artistic talents in the Children’s Literature and Children’s Art sections of the Gunnedah Show. A display of entries from infants, years 3-4, years 5-6 and high school students will be on exhibition.

Gunnedah Woodturners Club members have created a display of hand-made items to be showcased in the pavilion. Many more items will be on display in the club’s workshop. Woodturning demonstrations will be held throughout the day, with visitors welcome to inspect the workshop.

Produce entries are open until 9am on Friday, CWA exhibits, handicrafts, needlework and floral art will also be on exhibition.

Animals of all sorts to be part of the show

THE livestock sections at the Gunnedah Show are booming this year, with Saturday to kick-off with poultry and cattle judging at 8.30am, and prime lamb and stud sheep judging at 9am.

A variety of trophies and ribbons are up for grabs in the cattle section, with the coveted Supreme Beef Animal of Show Jubillee Trophy the main event.

The junior judging and junior parading are also held on Saturday, following the stud cattle and interbreed competition judging. Cattle entries are closed. 

Major awards in the stud sheep section include champion and reserve champion ram, champion and reserve champion ewe, grand champion prime lamb sire, grand champion prime lamb dam, supreme exhibit, grand champion group and most successful stud sheep exhibitor.

Stud sheep entries are still open until tomorrow with all entries to convenor Ben Swain on 0427 100 542.

There is plenty of prize money on offer in the prime lamb classes with the champion fat lamb exhibitor to take out the HH (Bert) Gardner Memorial Trophy sponsored by Leonie and Hunter Harley.

All lambs will be weighed after judging. For more information, phone convener Ian Gardner on 0427 434 453.

Major trophies and awards in the wool pavilion this year include champion fleece of show, reserve champion of show, champion ram of show, champion of show, most successful exhibitor, John Elsley Memorial Trophy, The Geoff Capel Memorial Trophy, Jemalong Wool Trophy, Shane Hobbs Plumbing Trophy, Elders Limited Trophy and Landmark Trophy.

Entries are closed in the wool section, however, entries can be viewed in the Wool Pavilion at the Gunnedah Show.

The pig judging will be held on Friday at 10am in the pig pavilion, with a stud sale of pigs to be held on Saturday from 10.30am. Entries are closed.

A champion and reserve champion sow and boar of each breed will be declared, as well as the champion sow of show, champion boar of show, grand champion pig of show, most successful overall exhibitor, most successful exhibitor in breed rotation and The Gunnedah Shield and P.W Brady & Sons Trophy.

Poultry on exhibition this year will include leghorns, silkies, wynadottes, old English games, Indian games, Australian game, waterfowl and more.

The poultry section will be open from 3-7pm on Friday and 6am-6pm on Saturday.

See the world from a different angle with Isuzu

ADVENTUROUS visitors to the Gunnedah Show will have the chance to see the world from a different angle by taking a wild ride on two wheels with a professional Team D-MAX stunt driver.

The driver will take its fearless passenger up and over the world’s steepest 4WD ramp, the Isuzu UTE Iron Summit, with thanks to the Peel Valley Group.

Jack Monkhouse is the lead driver of Australia’s most famous precision driving squad.

“We moved to Isuzu D-MAX Utes for our precision driving displays at the beginning of 2013 and they have performed brilliantly,” Monkhouse said.

“We usually do our stunts on big open arenas and showgrounds but we obviously don’t have the room for that here so we are bringing along the Isuzu UTE Iron Summit, which at 45 degrees is the steepest 4WD ramp in the world.

“I’ll be taking people for passenger rides up and over it and those that are game can come for a ride in one of our utes while we drive it on two wheels,” he said.

Surprisingly, the vehicles the team use for their stunts are very close to standard specification.

“The vehicles we drive on two wheels have a couple of safety modifications like roll cages for example but are really fairly standard,” Monkhouse said.

“The MU-X that climbs over the Iron Summit is completely standard.”

Team D-MAX will be taking lucky showgoers for rides for one day only on Saturday, April 18.

For more information about Isuzu Team D-MAX visit www.teamdmax.com.au

Something for everyone

FOR the young and young at heart, there is sure to be an activity for all ages at the Gunnedah Show.

The woodchopping demonstrations will see chips flying near the animal nursery from 12.30pm.

A fashion parade will be held in the Griffiths Pavilion from 3.30pm.

The Landmark Young Farmers Challenge will be held in front of the grandstand at 4pm.

The challenge is a fast-paced agricultural skills-based competition, where teams of young men and women battle it out in a range of activities to take out the champion title and a share in the prizemoney.

The dog high jump will also run near the grandstand from 4pm on Saturday afternoon.

A spectular fireworks display from Ka-Boom Fireworks will start from around 7.30pm on Saturday night, as well as a live band from 8pm at the rodeo bar.

See some of Gunnedah’s strongest men and women participate in a caber toss and tyre pull from 8.30pm near the rodeo bar.

The wife carrying competition also begins at 8.30pm. The competition involves participants carrying their wife, work colleague, friend, neighbour or complete stranger (with their permission) through an obstacle course.

Great prizes are up for grabs, including the winners receiving passes and entry into the Australian Wife Carrying Titles at the Singleton Show in September, where a trip to Finland to compete in the World Wife Carrying Championships representing Australia, is up for grabs.