As the number of people infected with Covid-19 increased in New Zealand, show president Emma Barker and secretary Michelle Tisdall started Monday last week making contingency plans to ensure hygiene would be the utmost priority.
''As the day went on we realised it was looking less and less likely.''
Miss Barker decided to make call to cancel the show following the Government's ban on gatherings of 500 or more people, Mrs Tisdall said.
''It was the responsible decision to make. Many of the people in our town don't go to the city very often. Opening up our small rural community to something like this would have been careless.''
The committee had worked hard to increase trade stall bookings; there would have been more than 40 trade stalls, up from five in 2019.
Late last week Mrs Tisdall was busy contacting participants to advise of the cancellation.
She said everyone had been ‘‘very understanding and accepting of the situation’’.
A Facebook post had communicated with most stakeholders but Mrs Tisdall said some Home Industries entrants did not have Facebook nor had email.
''I have been going through the paperwork and calling each of them individually to make sure they're not still busy baking! Many of them had no idea it was cancelled.''
Some of the show's categories would still be run such as the gift lamb competition, where local farmers donated a lamb to the show, and it was judged on foot and then on hook.
Mrs Tisdall said there were also plans for the local schools' Home Industry entries to still be judged.
''We've got all the prizes ready to go, so we'll make sure their hard work hasn't all been for nothing.''
Despite the disappointment, there was a silver lining.
''I am pretty excited about how organised we are for next year,'' Mrs Tisdall said, laughing.
