THE Royal Bathurst Show is an expensive gamble for organisers each and every year, but this year they look to have hit the jackpot.
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Perfect weather across the three days of the show drew crowds in their thousands to the Bathurst Showground for the region’s biggest annual community event.
Parking was at a premium on the roads around the showground and Morse Park was also full – particularly on Saturday afternoon.
The exhibition halls were full of baked goods and artworks submitted by locals keen to take part in all the fun.
Then there were the traditional stock, produce and farm machinery displays that still attract so much interest even in a world of iPads, iPhones and other electronic wizardry.
And all that was before we took a stroll down sideshow alley to take in the bright lights and gaudy spruikers urging us to try our luck on the clowns or take a spin on the dodgems before sampling our annual Dagwood Dog (or Pluto Pup, depending on where you grew up).
It was all terrific fun and all a fitting reward for Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association members who put in so many hours to bring the show to fruition each year.
But in a year when Bathurst MP Paul Toole used the show to remind us of the continuing importance of agriculture to Bathurst’s future, the Royal Bathurst Show was again a neat metaphor for life on the land.
Because, just as is the case for the region’s farmers, good planning and efficient systems only account for so much of the show’s annual success. The cream on the top is in the hands of Mother Nature, a story farmers live every year.
When conditions are good, as they were on the weekend, a good show can become a great show as many more families take the chance to enjoy a day (or night) out.
Same when you’re farming. Regardless of how hard you work and how much experience you have, there is always some reliance on favourable weather conditions to ensure the best results.
When it all comes together, though, the results are fantastic.
While the AH&P members now take some time for a well-earned rest, their thoughts will also be turning to planning for next year’s show. And when their hard work is done, we hope the weather gods smile on them again in 2018.