The crowning of Jessica Neale as the 2019 Cootamundra Showgirl and two special presentations were highlights of this year's celebration of the town's rural community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Don Eliot received the RAS president's medal and Marg and Ian Somers were presented with life memberships
Don Elliott received the RAS President's Medal in recognition of his outstanding service to the Cootamundra Show Society over 70 years, including as treasurer for 18 years and assistant treasurer for over 20 years as well as being a Patron and hardworking committee member.
Margaret and Ian Somers have been involved in the show for more than 30 years, working in the pavilion in various sections, as gate keepers, showgirl competition organisers and organising other events. Marg has been a Patron for several years.
Sam Bush, who was named a 2019 RAS Rural Achiever spoke during the show opening.
At just 24 years of age Sam Bush has a lifetime involvement with the Cootamundra Show.
For many years he has been one of the organisers of the Junior Judging competitions and continues to be a very involved committee member of Cootamundra Show while working in the NSW Premier's office as a policy adviser.
Miss Showgirl winner Jessica Neale has been involved in the show for a number of years, in particular with the pet show, cattle and horse sections.
One of two entrants in the Miss Showgirl competition, Jessica now goes on to represent Cootamundra at zone level in the Land Sydney Royal Easter Showgirl competition.
The winner of this year's Junior Showgirl was Rachel Roberts with Madilyn Robinson runner up.
Little Miss Showgirl was Brooke Doolan with Kiara Ryan runner up.
Master Stockman - Stanley Craig was named Master Stockman from Isaac Craig and Jackson Ellis
The show was officially opened by Weekend Sunrise presenter James Tobin with Deputy Prime Minister and member for Riverina Michael McCormack and member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke also in attendance.
A chance meeting with some of the Cootamundra Show Society Committee members who were in Sydney at the Royal Easter Show this year cooking at the Big Bush BBQ while James was filming Sunday Sunrise resulted in James coming to open the Show.
Show society assistant secretary Gwen Norman said the show was very well supported despite the prevailing drought conditions.
"The drought did have an impact on discretionary spend but everyone was in fine spirit and enjoyed brilliant music and entertainment," Ms Norman said praising the contribution made by the show's many volunteers.
"The enormous contribution of volunteers should not to be under recognised," she said.
"In his opening words show president Geoff Larson, spoke very fondly of tremendous contributions of the volunteers who turn up for 10 meetings a year with planning underway shortly for next year."
Ms Norman also made special mention of the support the show received from the wider Cootamundra community and the popularity of a new initiative, the Have a Yarn marquee.
"The food and bar in the marquee were outstanding by the Arts Centre celebrating local lamb and beef and local olive oil, all conducted by volunteers, a real community effort," she said.
"It went down extremely well, many people said 'isn't it great to have someone to sit down, have something to eat and have a yarn'".
"There were visits from all tiers of government to the marquee from the mayor to the acting prime minister of the day and also Steph Cooke who all said the marquee was wonderful.
"We're looking down the barrel of a pretty dry time, it was an opportunity to get people together and share the hard decisions that are being made in the rural industry on the land and in town with suppliers and service industries," Ms Norman said.
For this year's show Cootamundra received assistance from an extra band of volunteers with members of the Kiama Show Society making the trip to assist.
Ms Norman said the visit followed on from Cootamundra Show Society's involvement with the Big Bush BBQ.
"There would have been 10 volunteers travel from Kiama following friendships formed at the Big Bush BBQ at the Sydney Royal," she said
"(The BBQ) is an opportunity for agricultural shows throughout NSW to sell sausages and water and halve the proceeds with another show society, last year we did one with Camden and this year with Kiama.
"We got on really well and said why don't you come out so they did and helped with everything".
