Among the usual sites and sounds at the Maniototo A&P Show, there was a focal point of fundraising for Ranfurly's health facility upgrade.
Hundreds roamed the Ranfurly grounds yesterday as horses cleared obstacles and children gawked at towering farm machinery at the 118th event.
The only complaint about the weather from show secretary Neville Wahrlich was a slight breeze, but they had ''terrific'' entries in almost every section, he said.
Yesterday, he was not sure exactly how many came through the gates but it seemed slightly down on last year, he said.
The event was officially opened by honorary guest former All Black Justin Marshall.
As usual, local school children had a half-day off, just in time for the pet parade, where they displayed everything from sheep to quail.
The supreme award, which can be given to something in any section of the show, went to the Maniototo Health Services Ltd tent.
It was fundraising and advertising the $5million health facility upgrade combining Ranfurly's hospital and rest-home.
Maniototo Health Services general manager Geoff Foster said it also gave locals the opportunity to look more closely at the plans.
It held a silent auction for the cause and offered naming rights for the new building's rooms at $20,000 for a single and $30,000 for a double.
Secretary of the show's horticultural and industrial division Amie Pont said fundraising for the rebuild was a big focus for the show this year.
Over in the Maniototo Park Stadium, walls and tables were lined with fleeces, jam jars and children's drawings for the many competitions.
This year's rose competition had two entries of the pink Lucy's Rose, which is a fundraising effort by the Maniototo Lions Club for Ranui House in Christchurch, where local girl Lucy Falconer and family stayed while she was treated for leukaemia in 2012.
