Secondary School students with a knack for shearing will get the chance to compete in the first South Island School Shearing Championships at this year's NZ Agricultural Show held in Christchurch from November 9-11.
It is one of three new events to premiere at the annual Canterbury Show, this year focused on youth learning about rural life.
Show General Manager Tracy Ahern said the new events are a "perfect fit as they are designed for our rural communities".
In addition to the shearing competition, there will be Art in the Park, 12 young artists will paint a life-size plastic cow, and a wedding between two strangers held at the Grand Parade.
The A&P show has not run for the past two years due to Covid-19 restrictions.
It was meant to go ahead in November last year but the country was in alert level 2 at the time and organisers made the difficult decision to cancel.
An estimated 100,000 people normally attend the show.
Secondary School Shearing Championships
The inaugural South Island Secondary School Shearing Championships will complement the existing North Island championship held at the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games every March.
Forty entries have been received by show organisers in the first of the "Clash of the Colleges" from both boys and girls,
The teenage rural shearing gangs will compete on Wednesday, November 9 - the first day of the show.
Tracy Ahern said they will be mentored by current shearers and some famous ones as part of the competition.
"Shearing has no barrier on age and sex'" said Tracy Ahern. They will "represent their schools," she added.
Competition is expected to be fierce, with bragging rights up for grabs.
"Its amazing to be showcasing agriculture, for kids to have the opportunity to experience these different careers in the agri-sector," she said.
Art in the Park
Another new addition to the NZ Agricultural Show will be art in the park, a passion project with a focus on youth in conjunction with the Christchurch City Council.
Twelve artists, all under the age of 21, will paint life-size fibreglass cattle in public at the show behind a fence on the first day (Wednesday).
"The art needs to have a rural essence to it," said Tracy Ahern. "We gave them a spec," she added
The "plastic" cattle beasts will measure two and a half metres long, stand one and half metres high, and are half a metre wide.
The winning cow will be announced on the last day of the show and stand at the A & P Showgrounds.
It has yet to be decided if the remaining cow art is put up for auction, or also remain at the showgrounds.
Two Strangers and a Wedding
Organisers have planned to bring some extra "love" to the show with a wedding between two strangers on the final day in front of the Grand Parade.
"We believe people need new ways to meet each other," said Ahern.
"They enter online and we have got a couple of relationship specialists that can talk to them, and then they will meet on the radio and get married at the show with the grand parade of animals on Friday."
Organisers have already received four entries since it was launched on September 1.
Three are from Christchurch and one from Auckland, three brides-to-be and so far one groom
As part of the effort to get as many people back to the Show in the biggest week in Canterbury - children aged 18 years and under will enter this year's Show for free.
General admission
Single day pass:
• Adult - $30
• Student - $29
• Senior - $19
Three day passes:
• Adult - $80
• Student - $50
• Senior - $50
It appears to be a tale of two islands for this weekend's weather.