Showgirl Finals & all things dairy

Zone 3 Final - The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition

For those of you that follow The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition, you would be aware that February has been a busy month on the Showgirl calendar.

This weekend, Zone 3 hosted their Zone Final - which had very special significance for me as this was the zone I represented last year at the State Final.

Zone 3 extends from the Southern Tablelands down to the Snowy Mountains and Far South Coast and this year the Zone Final was hosted by Bega.

Bega put on a great event with the Zone Final dinner held in the Grand Pavilion at the Showground.  This building is the largest of its kind in Southern NSW - and was built over 100 years ago!

Congratulations to all 12 of the Zone Finalists - you did a wonderful job representing your local communities and I hope you gained alot from your showgirl experience.

The 2013 Zone 3 Finalists at Bega.

The Bega Valley is a gorgeous corner of NSW and is well renowned for its "Bega Cheese" and its dairy industry.

Bega is also the hometown of one of the 2012 Young Farming Champions in the Art4Agriculture program - Tom Pearce put together this video to share his experience in the Australian Dairy Industry and inspire a new generation to consider the opportunities that await in Australian Agriculture.

I think this is a great video - which both showcases the Bega Valley & also encourages young people to think about the opportunities and experiences that getting involved with the Australian Dairy industry can offer. (Thanks Tom for sharing this video.)





Tom was also kind enough to take a few showgirls on a tour of a dairy farm while they were in town for the Zone Final! Thanks Tom, Warwick Farms & the Bega Show Society for all your wonderful country hospitality!

Showgirls - representing your local show

What the Showgirl Competition is really all about - not what you may think...

2012 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl State Finalists

The countdown to the Sydney Royal Easter Show is on and with that also means the Showgirl competition is stepping up with the Zone Finals already underway. 

For those of you not so familiar with the Showgirl Competition here is a quick brief:

Each local show has a local showgirl competition - the aim is to select a young lady as an ambassador for the local community and recognize their involvement in their local community and show. The winner then goes on to represent their town at the Zone Final.

The winners of each Zone Final (there is 7 zones across NSW) earn a place at the State Final which is hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The Showgirl Competition provides young women with an opportunity to give something back to their community, as well as engage in their own personal development and build networks with other young women with a passion for rural NSW.

2012 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl State Finalists at Government House in Sydney with the Governor of NSW,  Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir 

The 2013 Zone 1 Showgirl Final was hosted by Mullumbimby. Echonetdaily.net.au put together a great video on the  Zone 1 Final and I think it summaries really well what the Showgirl Competition is all about. 

~ Enjoy.

& Good luck to all the Showgirls participating in the upcoming Zone Finals across the State!

Extract from the Showgirl Information guide (www.agshowsnsw.org.au) 

Overall, the aim of the Showgirl Competition is to find a person most suited to represent young rural 

women of NSW during her term as ‘The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl’. This covers many 

official and informal situations during the Sydney Royal Easter Show, as well as her travels 

within NSW and interstate. The Society therefore seeks an articulate and presentable person 

with a pleasant personality. 

The winner will be required to meet a wide variety of people and should be able to converse 

intelligently about Australia in general and in particular her own district. She will be 

interviewed by press, radio and television and will be asked to speak about her experiences 

before a range of groups. 

The RAS defines a ‘local’ showgirl as a person with strong family, personal, educational or 

business associations within the local community. She must also be approved and nominated 

by her local Show Society and have a genuine interest in and understanding of rural and 

regional issues.

2012 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl place-getters

Backdrop Fit For A Show

What A Scene

Last weekend I was invited to open the 66^th Annual Show at a little town in Southern NSW called The Rock.

True to its name, The Rock is well renowned for its signature landmark ‘The Rock’; a rocky hill that overlooks the town. The showgrounds (and golf course) are nestled almost at the foot of the Rock and provide I think the most beautiful backdrop to any country show in NSW.

Although The Rock is only a small town, it was great to see the number of families that had all come out for the day to experience something at the Show. I also believe I saw the largest number of entries I have ever seen in the “best decorated arrowroot” section, so I think this is a highly regarded title to hold in the town!

I had the pleasure of judging the junior showgirl and show boy competitions with 2011 The Rock Showgirl & 2012 State Finalist, Emma Angel. I didn’t realise just how many kids were on the showgrounds as they just kept appearing and were all very excited to get up on stage – one young boy was so keen he even joined us during the presentations of The Rock Showgirl at the Show Opening!

Congratulations to the entrants of this year’s showgirl, both young ladies were very passionate about the town they call home and the importance of having sustainable rural communities. Such great ambassadors for their town - it is great to see some young people getting involved and keen to give something back to their community. 

Making headlines in The Daily Advertiser (Local Wagga Wagga rag).
2012 The Rock Showgirl Riley Cherrey, 2012 Runner-up Ashton Yates, The Rock Show President Mr Jim Payne, 2011 The Rock Showgirl & 2012 State Finalist Emma Angel & 2012 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Jasmine Nixon.

One of the things I enjoy the most about helping with the junior showgirl/show boy competitions is the creative responses you hear when young kids are asked about their favourite part of the Show, or what they have enjoyed most about their day at the Show. The rides and animal nursery always normally get a few votes, or whether they got a prize in the pavilion with their entry or with their game-bird in the poultry section. 

One response from a young lad I think really epitomized what the Show movement is about – he was at the Show with his family to spend the day with his grandmother and see if she won any prizes with her knitting. Sometimes I think we can get a little caught up in all the bright lights, ribbons and prizes but not only are our shows about excellence and entertainment, but they provide an opportunity for the community to all come together and celebrate what it is that we do best. Whether that is baking cakes, growing vegetables, floral arrangements, having an eye for a good horse, or breeding stud stock the Show provides something for everyone with an opportunity for us to all come together to showcase and celebrate what we do.

Congratulations to The Rock Show Committee on another successful Show and thank you for your wonderful hospitality. Also special mention must go to Megan Coyle - it was great to see a past showgirl (& state finalist!) continuing to be so heavily involved in some many parts of their local show - very inspiring for future showgirls!