General News
22 October, 2023
Packed with passion and achievement
THE 2023 Boort Show has been hailed a success for community passion and spirit. Crowds began arriving early at the agricultural and pastoral society’s 135th show on Saturday. Horse events and shearing were among the first action to attract the...
THE 2023 Boort Show has been hailed a success for community passion and spirit.
Crowds began arriving early at the agricultural and pastoral society’s 135th show on Saturday.
Horse events and shearing were among the first action to attract the crowd who also spent hours wandering and admiring more than 130 trucks entered in this year’s Boort Truck Show.
The new “street style” display of big road rigs made for better ease of viewing.
People quickly darted to the pavilion when doors opened after stewards had finished placing prize ribbons and cards beside successful entries in cooking, art, handicraft and produce events.
New show joint secretary Sharon Pickering said: “What we see in this pavilion today is the community at work with its skills.”
The pavilion overflowed this year to accommodate the increase in entries.
Flower sections were also strongly supported with Kim Potter taking out prizes for best bearded irises that grew from rhizomes dug up by champion Merino and iris breeder Robert Harding.
Kim said every time the family bought a ram from the Nhill sheep breeder, he added an iris bulb to be planted back at their Boort farm.
Loddon Mayor Dan Straub officially opened the show, saying the event provided a special time for families.
Agricultural and pastoral society president Madeleine Scott said preparing for the shown had again been a real community effort. “The school has helped with setting up, we have had so many volunteers and the stewards have been wonderful to have everything ready for the many events,” she said.
Madeleine also paid thanks to agricultural and pastoral society stalwarts Marj Potter and Ken and Isobel Loader.
“Their help and knowledge is incredible,” she said.
But even the best plans can go awry. Boort District School leadership program students had planned to run yabby races as part of the day’s entertainment.
They moved to plan B when last week’s cold weather hampered efforts to entice enough yabbies to the surface. The students instead ran games for youngsters at the show.
The Melbourne Cup trophy on tour at the show had queues for several hours as Loddon residents and visitors from across northern and central Victoria clambered for a look at the famous horse racing prize.
And in a touch of the Melbourne Cup carnival, Cohuna school geography and history teacher Raewyn Smith took out Fashions on the Field.
The expat Kiwi who moved to Cohuna two years ago finished the day with a winning trifecta - daughter Scarlett won the the 9-12 years section and son Carlos the prize for best dressed boy aged 3-5.
The show ended in spectacular fashion with a fireworks display lighting the night sky.
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