The sheepdog trials, with more than 190 entries, was almost "the whole show," when it started on Wednesday morning show and A and P Society general manager Sally Jackson was said to have muttered when she caught up with enthusiastic trials organisers, dealing with about 190 entries, an increase of about 30 on last year.
The only other events on the first morning were the equestrian dressage several hundred metres away at "the polo grounds", otherwise known as Elwood Park.
There was an eerie quiet, completing the "perfect" conditions for the dogs and farmers, according to Hawke's Bay Sheep Dog Trial Association president Scott Wedd – no distractions from public movement around the arena, and no blasting announcements over any public address system.
The momentum would pick-up, said Jackson, reiterating how the society, which had a 150th show anniversary in 2013, had to downsize from the Royal New Zealand Show to a mainly competitors-only event, to limit risk of financial losses which might seriously hit the future of the show and the not-for-profit society.
Entry to the array of rural events, several of which provide pathways for competitors to other regional, national and even international events, is limited to competitors and supporters although, Jackson said, if grandma or grandad were wanting to take the opportunity of seeing the grandchildren in action while they were in town they wouldn't be turned away.
The focus was on the commitment to and safety of the competitors, many from families with long histories at the show, and with Covid-19 still a presence QR code and traceability process would be in place.
She was expecting about 600 horses to arrive during Wednesday, stepping-up the three days of equestrian sports, at both the polo grounds and on the showgrounds oval and culminating in annual feature the equestrian World Cup showjumping qualifier starting at 2pm on Friday.
Dog trialist Wedd, who by the luck of the draw was first-off on Wednesday morning, said there would be two-and-a-half days of busy dog trials, each limited to 10 minutes, before the runoffs for the top 15 qualifiers, starting about noon on Friday.
He had two other dogs trialling on Wednesday, and the team of four young dogs being trialled by fellow Hawke's Bay hope Jeremy Berry highlighted the keenness for competition after the cancellation of late-season club trials last summer.
Many trialists had competed at the Poverty Bay A and P Show last Friday and Saturday, and there were entries from as a far away as Northland, and included 10 farm training cadets from Smedley Station, near Tikokino.
Even the sheep used for the trials had a ring of quality, being breeding hoggets belonging to newly-acclaimed Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year Tim Nelson. There were 310 lining up with their farmers and shepherd for judge Dave Evan, but sheep were also being assessed, to find the 60 most suitable for the runoffs.
A secondary schools shearing competition will be held tomorrow,
starting with instruction from World and Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith and others from before 9am.
The show's Great Raihania Shears shearing and woolhandling championships are on Friday, starting at 8am, while the farm-fencing championships, starting at 9am, will be on the golf driving range usually used during the show for car parking.
While major showing, home industry and craft categories are not being staged, there are still classes for goats, pigs, alpaca, chickens and donkeys, and a pet lamb parade about noon on Friday.
As a result of the cancellation of cattle and sheep classes, the Meat and Wool Cup will not be presented this year, leaving major show honours for the industry being the Best of the Bay steak, lamb and commercial heifer competitions, from 2pm on Thursday afternoon, while former Prime Minister Sir Bill English speaks at a Members Marquee function starting at 12.30pm on Friday.
The novelty of the 2020 show was not lost on Upper Hutt mum Jen Bowley and 10-year-old daughter Isla, with plenty of space for both horse exercise, the float and the caravan, in the otherwise empty space in past years occupied by trade sites.
"It's so quiet," said Bowley, as her daughter tended pony Bori (entry name Sir Pranze A lot) after an early outing in the dressage ring.
