‘Best crowd’ for years at Gore A&P Show

Hazel, 7, and Olive Steel, 4, have fun on an inflatable activity. PHOTOS: GERRIT DOPPENBERG

Brad Bridgman, of Gore, and his daughter Sarah, 4, enjoy a tea cup ride at the Gore A&P show on Saturday.

Billie Birse, 3, has some fun on the merry go-round.

Cattle numbers were up this year — with a focus on Ayrshire cattle.

All ages got to compete and show their animals at the Gore A&P Show on Saturday.

Wynter Mason, 11, on her horse Splash, and Elise Jefcoate, 9, on her horse Paddy take part in the equestrian events.

Good day out, with stunner weather and great vibes at the showgrounds.

Enjoying the show ere, from left, Gore District Mayor Ben Bell, Grand Master of the Parade Jock Cummings, Associate Minister of Agriculture Mark Patterson, and Gore A&P Society President Martin Powley (obscured).

Never a bad day to solve a puzzle at the A&P show, as teams competed in the Agrikids and Junior Young Farmer of the Year events.

Gore A&P Society president Martin Powley said the turnout for the 143rd Gore A&P show on Saturday was the "best crowd we’ve had for many a year".

The good weather helped bring in the good vibes and the big crowd, as did the display of rural success, he said.

"It was good. The beef were up on last year — we had some great quality animals there. We had the South Island Ayrshire champs based at the Gore show, with plenty of good-looking Ayrshire cows, with an 8-year-old Ayrshire winning best in show.

"The main thing was having the Young Farmers. They came along and gave a whole different spin with different people," he said.

"A lot of people in the show have been organising their sections for many years now and keep improving things. We’re getting sorted with new technology, trying to make it easier for everyone to enter."