It was however nowhere near as severe as 2010 when the transfer of the shearing was just part of a catastrophe for the show, with almost everything else on the Saturday cancelled as the showgrounds were turned into a quagmire.
Hooper said: "The rain on Saturday did play against us and kept people away, so it was good to see the number of people who still came to support the show."
"It is a rural show," she said, adding wet weather is part of farming. "It's maybe not bad to have a wet show once in a while. It does remind us to think about putting things in place to overcome the issues."
She said there has been talk of arranging cover for the shearing so the event can take place at the showgrounds in wet weather and added: "It is a matter of logistics."
She said the grounds "still look really good," and by Monday work had already started to prepare the showgrounds for other events which include the East Coast Farming Expo on February 26-27 and a car boot sale in March.
While some worried Thursday's decision to move the shearing may have been premature, it was vindicated by the events that followed, which otherwise would have almost meant a last-minute cancellation.
As such it also became a triumph for Wairoa and some of the show stalwarts, headed by the selection of Lachie Baynes, from Ardkeen but based in Hawke's Bay as a mobile shearing contractor, and Napier shearer Paraki Puna in the New Zealand team for the international, which they achieved as the top two Open heats shearers who had not previously represented New Zealand.
They then had a comfortable win of Ceredig Lewis, who is in New Zealand working for Napier contractor Brendan Mahony, and Llion Jones, recently moved to New Zealand with his wife, from the Kawhia area.
Baynes also shore in the Wairoa Shears Open final, won by brother-in-law Rowland Smith, and father-and-son Paul and Ryka Swann won the Senior and Novice shearing finals respectively, while second son Keith was runner-up in the Intermediate final won by Leam Pritchard, of Pongaroa.
There was a Welsh triumph, with Sam Jones, of Powys, heading an all-UK top three in the Junior final.
Meanwhile, Far North farmer Merv Cameron was rewarded for his long trip and a day in the rain by getting two dogs into the show's sheep dog trial runoff, and winning with Queen.
The best Hawke's Bay centre trialist, just a fortnight from the start of the trials season at the Waikoau centennial event and Hawke's Bay centre championships on January 1-February 2, was fourth-placed Samantha Shaw, with Stream.
A 12-year-old was one of the stars of the rodeo, the junior steer ride being won by national junior champion Leroy Pertab, of Matamata. Winners from Hawke's Bay included saddle bronc winner Joseph Whitelock and novice steer rider Jonty Bellerby.
On the oval, both the Equissage Horse Grand Prix and Country TV Pony Grand Prix were held in patchy weather.
Just five lined up in the Equissage Horse Grand Prix with Sarah West, of Matamata, triumphing with a four-fault round aboard Oaks Centurian.
The Country TV Pony Grand Prix was just as light on clears too, with only Keira Page, of Waiheke Island, riding Redcliffs Colour Me In, keeping her slate clear for the win.
The horse and pony events attracted slightly lower entries than usual, with 290 combinations competing.
The show was the third of the four Hawke's Bay A and P shows for the season, the last being the Dannevirke show next Thursday-Saturday.
RESULTS from the Wairoa A and P Show Shears at Tauwharetoi Station, Te Reinga:
CP Wool Series (15 sheep): New Zealand Development Wairoa (Lachie Baynes 14min 53sec, 52.45pts; Paraki Puna 15min 31sec, 54.15pts) 106.6pts beat Wales Development (Llion Jones 15min 19sec, 56.68pts; Ceredig Lewis 15min 7sec; 56.95pts) 113.63pts by 7.03pts.
Open final (16 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 14min 5sec, 47.63pts, 1; Digger Balme (Otorohanga) 13min 48sec, 49.03pts, 2; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 14min 13sec, 52.15pts, 3; Lachie Baynes (Wairoa) 14min 56sec, 53.3pts, 4.
Senior final (10 sheep): Paul Swann (Wairoa) 10min 51sec, 41.05pts, 1; Jordie Grant (Hastings) 10min 40sec, 41.4pts, 2; Brooke Hamerton (Hastings) 11min 39sec, 41.55pts, 3; Llyr Jones (Llanwrst, Wales) 10min 39sec, 42.65pts, 4.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Leam Pritchard (Pongaroa) 8min 18sec, 30.4pts, 1; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 8min 12sec, 32.77pts, 2; Emlyn Jones (Llanrwst, Wales) 7min 35sec, 35.92pts, 3; Topia Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 7min 51sec, 37.72pts, 4.
Junior final (4 sheep): Sam Jones (Powys, Wales) 7min 5sec, 25.5pts, 1; Will May (North Lincolnshire, England) 7min 17sec, 30.85pts, 2; Jack Samuel (Llandrindod, Wales) 8min 15sec, 32.5pts, 3; Adam Gordon (Masterton) 7min 44sec, 32.7pts, 4.
Novice final (1 sheep): Ryka Swann (Wairoa) 3min 46sec, 20.3pts, 1; Ana Rasmussen (Havelock North) 3min 45sec, 33.25pts, 2; Haeora King (Motu) 3min 24sec, 36.2pts, 3; Maureen Chaffey (Maraekakaho) 4min 14sec, 41.7pts, 4.
Veterans (2 sheep): Ian Buchanan (Te Kuiti) 3min 45sec, 17.7pts, 1; Nicky Beynon (Llangennith, Wales) 3min 2sec, 18.1pts, 2; Edwin Perry (Mt Maunganui) 3min 52sec, 23.6pts, 3; Rob Matenga (Te Karaka) 3min 25sec, 26.75pts, 4.
RESULT of the Wairoa A and P Show sheep dog trial: Merv Cameron, Queen, 97pts, 1; Merv Utting, Stem, 96.6pts, 2; Barney Strong, Trixie, 96.2pts, 3; Sam Shaw, Stream, 95.6pts, 4; Howard Ingles Lou, 95pts, 5.
