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The tiny population of Canterbury’s Fairlie is about to explode by as much as 15-fold when visitors stream into the Mackenzie Highland A&P Show on Easter Monday.
With an estimated population of just under 1000, the small village is expected to host — depending on the weather — 12,000 to 15,000 visitors for the largest one-day show in the nation.
Not only will visitors and exhibitors be celebrating the 125th show, but the sheep section has been accorded royal status by the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand (RAS).
Mackenzie A&P Association president Chris Hampton said a large turnout was expected for the April 10 show.
"We are expecting a good result because we missed a show last year, had one in 2021 and missed one in 2020 — all because of Covid-19 — so this is only the second show in four years. We had a really good gate-take in 2021, and missed shows this year have had a good number of people turning up, so hopefully it will be the same here. The Mackenzie show always attracts a good crowd and it is the biggest one day show in New Zealand."
He said the long weekend was an attraction and the show caught through-traffic from Wheels at Wanaka and Warbirds over Wanaka events.
Exhibitors travel far and wide to show their livestock and participate in the horse and other events because of the prized tartan ribbons.
The spectacle of the Grand Parade at 2.30pm was also a crowd-puller.
Mr Hampton said the royal status had brought in more entries from sheep exhibitors attracted by the honour of supreme champions winning a RAS supreme champion medal and red, white and blue ribbons.
"They only give that out to one show a year and sometimes they don’t even get allocated, so we’re going to get some of the best sheep here on display from the South Island. We’ve got sheep as far north as Cheviot and as far south as Gore, so there will be a good line up of sheep from most breeds."
More than 450 sheep are entered, surpassing the normal turnout of 300 entries.
A gift lamb competition with lambs again judged in the pen for the best meat young animal category.
A new addition to this will be a live auction of the lambs, with prizemoney going to the best-priced lamb and the overall winner going to the lamb with the best points total.
"It’s something a wee bit different and I think will draw in quite a few people from the towns who haven’t seen a live auction.
"We will have a prominent auctioneer from the Mackenzie-South Canterbury area who will be auctioning the lambs."
As an incentive to bring in younger stud breeders, an All Breeds competition will be reserved for exhibitors under 25-years-old.
Some of the show proceeds will again go to a student scholarship for Telford, Lincoln University or Massey University.
Friendly rivalries will resume in other livestock and handicraft competitions over 1000 classes.
The horse events ranging from miniature horses, ponies, clydesdales and hunter jumping will be staged in the main ring and convened by Mr Hampton’s wife Annabelle. Their daughter Elizabeth is the assistant convener of the sheep section.
Many of the exhibitors are multigenerational with the Hampton family showing stud sheep and horses for three generations.
Leading up to the Grand Parade will be many events — craft and trade displays, entertainment, a talent quest, pedalmania, archery, tug-of-war, wood-chopping, sheep-dog trials, vintage machinery, childrens agri-sports, gumboot-throwing and the Mackenzie Highland Pipe Band.
A new attraction is an animal tent — that will feature eels — that is sure to be a magnet for younger show-goers.
A four-stand wool shed will again be the venue for the Mackenzie Shears, part of the national circuit.
