Preparations are well underway and the scene is being set for what’s sure to be a wonderful 134th annual Gundagai Show.
The Gundagai P&A Society have put together another jam-packed schedule of events for the whole community to enjoy, kicking off on Friday, February 16 through to Sunday, February 18. Gundagai P&A Society president Dan McDonnell said the grounds are looking their best and apart from the usual events everyone loves to head to the showground for each year, there are also a few feature events for showgoers to keep an eye out for. “Without a doubt, this year’s Show is shaping up to be a great one,” Dan said. “The yard dog trials will run over three days from Friday to Sunday and the big news is that this year the NSW State Championships will be conducted at our Show which is a huge deal for us, to have the prestige of the state titles.” Chief steward Bill Luff said while the yard dog trials are always a popular event with spectators each year, this year’s championships are not to be missed with entrants coming from over NSW and Victoria to compete. “On the Sunday we’ll have the top 25, and 16 of those have already pre-qualified by winning championship trials during the year,” Bill said.
“The next nine come out of our trials on the Friday and Saturday, so on Sunday we’ll have the best in the state.” There will be six events including the maiden, novice, open, and improver, and on Sunday the championship trials as well as the encourage for beginners. With some 300 dogs showcasing their skills and 1400 sheep being transported in from Coolac for the event, the yard dog trials are expected to draw quite a crowd over the three days. “It’s always a popular event with spectators; people come and sit there and get mesmerised by it,” Bill said. “We always try and put on a good show and we must say a big thank you to our sponsors. We have a lot of local sponsors and we couldn’t do it without them.” Spectators will find the yard dog trials situated near the camp draft arena. In a Gundagai Show first, the yard dog trials will also be live streamed. It’s a big Show for working dog trials with the three sheep dog trials also being run, along with the cattle dog trials run on the Friday night and free for spectators. Another big drawcard for the Show society this year is the special event pro wrestling, where International Wrestling Australia (IWA) will pull out all the stops to bring some spectacular shows to Gundagai crowds.
On the Saturday, shows are scheduled for 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm, with the IWA shows touted as “body slamming, bone crunching, non-stop sports entertainment”. “We offer a fantastic live action adventure show for all ages,” said promoter and wrestler Mark Mercedes, who is a 25-year pro wrestling veteran. The shows are purely for entertainment (nobody gets hurt) and are family fun, action-packed live shows that go above and beyond the standard live sporting event, adding elements of theatre and comedy. “IWA Pro Wrestling has been Australia’s number one in sports-entertainment for the past 11 years and is often referred by many venue managers as, ‘Australia’s hottest live touring act’,” Mark said. “IWA’s success has surprised many and really revived pro wrestling in Australia.” Other great entertainment on the Saturday includes Majura the magician, a wild life display and kids animal farm. There will also be all the usual events for showgoers to wander around and enjoy such as the cattle program, sheep, poultry, pavilion exhibits and show dogs, along with a vintage car display and the ever-popular sideshow alley. This year the main pavilion display will feature everything you need to know about pest control with Local Land Services (LLS).
Another loved section of the Show is the Miss Tiny Tot competition. Miss Tiny Tot takes entrants up to six years of age, and Master Showman up to 12 years. Girls from seven to 12 years are eligible to enter Miss Junior Showgirl. Judging will take place in the jockey’s enclosure at 1pm, and all participants are asked to be at the enclosure by 12.45pm. Judges will be announced on the day. Dan said the showjumping is looking huge again this year, as per usual for this popular event. “We are proud that our showjumping events continue to excel and are, arguably, the best showjumping event in rural NSW,” he said. “They remain very strong with some of the best riders in Australia competing.” The huge three-day horse show kicks off on Friday and finishes on Sunday. The annual Show doesn’t come together without a lot of hard work from the committee who have been instrumental in making sure the grounds look picture perfect and welcoming for the throngs of people expected to head through the gates come Show day.
“The grounds are looking magnificent thanks to caretakers Deb and Peter who are doing a fantastic job, not just for the Show society, but for all the showground user groups,” Dan said. “They are a real asset to the showground as a whole.” The society have also been undertaking working bees in the lead up to the big event, the last of which, last Sunday, was very well supported and saw 25 people turn up to lend a hand. “We even ran out of milk for morning tea,” Dan said. “There was almost a riot.” Dan said the much-loved annual Show showcases our magnificent district and beyond and continues to offer the very best in agricultural exhibits and community displays. “We are proud of our annual Show and the community spirit it generates,” he said. “The Show would not survive without the local community and the generous support from our members, sponsors and advertisers.”
2024 Gundagai Show schedule sections can be found on the website: www.gundagaishow.com.au Members of the public entering any of the many varied schedule sections can lodge their entry, prior to the Show, at the temporary Show office at Ray White Gundagai, 171 Sheridan Street. The office will open from 10am to 4pm on Monday February 12 until Thursday February 15. See you at the Show! Gate admission: Adults: $15 Children (5-16 years): $5 Family: $35 (includes 2 adults plus children) Pensioners: $5 School children under 5 years: Free The Gundagai Show will this year host the NSW State Yard Dog Championships from February 16 to 18. Photo: NSW Yard Dog Association.
