Coonabarabran show 2020

BY JESS RICHARDS, NEW SOUTH WALES-BASED MEDIA STRINGER

Agricultural shows in regional towns play a special part in country communities. They bring people together, celebrate the different moving parts of the industry, and showcase the hard work of agricultural participants. This year I decided to document our local Coonabarbran Show to share the dynamic and lively experience as it’s a wonderful example of the positive spirit within regional communities.

The Coonabarbran PAI & H Association held their annual show on the 13th and 14th of March.

The annual event showcases local agriculture and provides the community with the opportunity for a social gathering and distraction from the farming life.  

It was a fascinating year to capture the festivities given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coonabarabran P A I & H Association was very fortunate as the show started on the weekend of Friday the 13th of March; an unlucky number for the superstitious however, lucky for us as the Government notice for all corona virus regulations stated that gatherings of more than 500 people would be banned from Monday the 16th of March 2020. This allowed us to run our Friday night rodeo with permission from the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association and complete our show without breaking social distancing restrictions or breaching public gathering numbers.

The committee vigilantly kept across updates as they were issued and were prepared to enforce and enact any restrictions as per instructions, however, we were fortunate that all the associated governing bodies such as the Agricultural Societies Council, and the federal and state government bodies had not imposed restrictions until the Monday after our local show.

Some of the exhibits attracted over 200 entries, including the horticulture section where produce benefited from the recent rain events timed perfectly for autumn blooms.

The committee also had excellent representation in the cattle and sheep sections from the local schools and breeders.

The main event, bringing in one of the biggest crowds of the show, was the Friday night Rodeo that consisted of 38 riders from the central west and was enthusiastically supported by local businesses. Events of the rodeo included Ladies Open Barrel Racing, Open Bull Rides and Mini Bulls.

it was a great weekend that generated a lot of positive feedback and injected a great sense of excitement and connection within the Coonabarabran community.