Great crowd for all the fun of the farm

Tossing hay into a 1920s Booth Mac stationary baler is Ted Mills, with (from centre) Ronald Sheat...
Tossing hay into a 1920s Booth Mac stationary baler is Ted Mills, with (from centre) Ronald Sheat and Peter Curtin assisting. The men are members of the East Otago Vintage Machinery Club. Photo by Jane Dawber.
The 126th Palmerston and Waihemo A and P Show attracted an estimated 2400 visitors to the Palmerston showgrounds on Saturday.

Show numbers were well up on the usual show attendance.

However, numbers were down on the record 3500 who attended the 125th annual show in 2008, Palmerston and Waihemo A and P association show president Nevin Gibb, of Palmerston, said. Numbers were increased by 49 people who travelled on a special "Seasider" train from Dunedin to Palmerston to attend the show.

Craft and trade sites were up on last year, the show secretary, Heather McGregor, said.

Some of the new businesses which had recently set up in Palmerston had good sales on their trade sites.

Identical twin highland yearling heifers Shiraz and Syrah, exhibited by Grant and Kathy Watts, of Kuri Bush, were a big attraction at the show.

Identical twin heifers are unusual.

The Booth Mac stationary baler was a working exhibit run by members of the East Otago Vintage Machinery club, of Palmerston.

The stationary baler, owned by the Dempster family, attracted constant crowds whenever it was started up during the day.

The baler was used from about the late 1920s until the mid-1950s, club member Noel Sheat, of Palmerston, said.

Equestrian events, a grand parade, pet parade, lolly scramble, clown, magician and lots of sideshows were a good formula for success.

Show committee members were already planning how to improve the show for next year, Mrs McGregor said.

 

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