Glorious weather and free entry meant the crowds at the second annual New Zealand Rural Games in Queenstown were double those of last year.
Games founder Steve Hollander said about 6000 people came through the gates during the two-day weekend festival.
An estimated 8000 watched 400 merinos mustered through the town centre in the ‘‘Running of the Wools'' on Saturday.
Mr Hollander said he was especially pleased to see many children and adults having a go at individual events. The games' second day featured national records in the egg-throwing-and-catching competition and the women's section of the gumboot-throwing contest.
Taihape's Kirsten Churchward beat defending champion Mairead Fox, of Dunedin, to earn a spot at July's world boot-throwing championships in Finland.
Taihape's Kayla Hyland won the transtasman cherry stone-spitting competition with a spit of 8.12m. Balclutha's Josie Pirie finished second with 7.5m and Karen McKerchar, of Roxburgh, third with 6.5m.
Queenstown's Rosanne Donaldson finished second to Rotorua's Sarah Coatsworth in the women's DIY challenge.
Yesterday's New Zealand speed shearing championship was narrowly won by world titleholder Rowland Smith, of Hawkes Bay.
On Saturday, New Zealand sportsmen dominated their Australian rivals in three transtasman contests in wood chopping, speed tree climbing and the Highland games ‘‘heavies'' competition.
After winning the teams event with his New Zealand team-mates, Taranaki woodsman Shane Jordan claimed the individual title, scoring the most points in the spring board, stock saw, standing block, single saw and underhand disciplines.
The speed tree climbing transtasman championship was won by Auckland arborist Tumai Laybourn, who then joined the four-strong national team to win the transtasman event.
In the games' ‘‘heavies'' transtasman competition, Aucklander Reuben de Jong successfully defended his title. It was some consolation after he and his New Zealand team-mates lost to the Australian team by a single point.
Amelia Gatward-Ferguson, of Queenstown, won the New Zealand speed gold panning championship.
