The Wānaka A&P Show may have a new attraction next year: the addition of community floats at its grand parade.The show’s management team, which is preparing for the 2025 show (which will take place on March 7-8), said floats would “give community groups a chance to showcase their creativity and talents in a fun, engaging way”. “This new feature will add excitement and celebrate our local community,” the team said.The grand parade takes place at midday on the Saturday of each show, and features all the prize-giving animals being ridden or led round the showgrounds’ main ring.The management team said next year’s show will also feature a new Leisure Horse Section for riders and horses new to the show environment.“It offers a more relaxed experience for those looking to participate without the pressures of competition,” the team said.The Wānaka A&P Show is one of New Zealand's largest agricultural, pastoral and community events.The show has been held at the lakefront showgrounds since 1934. The next A&P Show is scheduled for March 7-8, 2025.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka’s A&P Show is in good shape and focused on next year’s show, says the Upper Clutha A&P Society, which has been in existence since 1895.In contrast, the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch has been cancelled this year because organisers say it is not financially viable.The New Zealand Agricultural Show has been held annually by the Canterbury A&P Association at the showgrounds in Christchurch each November since 1863.No two A&P Shows are the same in either content or structure, Upper Clutha A&P Society chair Keith Cooper told the Wānaka App.“The Upper Clutha A&P Society is committed to creating a showcase event of their rural constituents, to ensure continuity of the heritage of the show but at the same time ensuring it is an event that attracts attendees, competitors, exhibitors and sponsors, who all contribute to the success of the show,” he said.The Upper Clutha A&P Society is committed to continuing the heritage of the show. “We are particularly thankful to the army of volunteers that also contribute to the show and its success.” The Wānaka Show’s cost structure is assisted by the fact the showgrounds (which were donated by the Sargood family) are owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council and protected for the show’s annual use under the Reserves Management Act, Keith said.“The 2024 Upper Clutha A&P Show was again a success,” he said, adding that the organising team is now focusing on the 2025 Show and what innovation is needed “to ensure the show remains relevant and continues to be attractive to a diverse audience”. This year's show attracted 44,000 attendees, who enjoyed an array of exhibits, competitions, and performances. The Upper Clutha A&P Society’s commitment to spotlighting the agricultural core of the event resulted in 1,820 livestock and 1,533 home industry entries. There were also significant changes this year, including the reimagined Rural Village at Gate 2, the new Farmlands Farmyard area, and a simplified pricing model for trade exhibitors.Several initiatives were introduced to reduce the event’s carbon footprint, including bike parking, a trial second Park n Ride service on the Mt Iron Reserve, and paperless entry options. Keith said the society is looking to continue these efforts in future shows.“For the 2024-2025 events funding round QLDC are working in partnership with our sustainability and climate action teams to develop and support events' sustainability measures,” he said.PHOTOS: Supplied

More than 44,000 people attended the Wānaka A&P Show over the past weekend, show organisers say.Organisers of the show were thrilled with the turnout, particularly with the mix of town and country gathering to celebrate New Zealand’s rural roots.“It’s always exciting to see people connect as they explore and stroll around the event,” Wānaka A&P Show general manager Jane Stalker said. “It brings a fun, vibrant buzz to the two-day event and creates a real community feel.The annual Jack Russell Race was won by 15-month-old Fred from Southland. PHOTO: Supplied“This truly comes down to the people who attend and make the show their own.”The 2024 show hosted a entertainment line-up of nine different acts, including headliners the Topp Twins, as well as Adam McGrath from the Eastern, singers Barry Saunders and Jackie Bristow and entertainer Lieutenant Lou. The traditional equestrian and livestock events were also a highlight of the show, along with 513 trade exhibitors and the much-loved Jack Russell race. The Topp Twins performing. PHOTO: SuppliedMore than 90 Jack Russells competed in the quirky race, with Fred – a 15-month-old Jack Russell from Southland – taking out first place.  “The Jack Russell Race is always entertaining to watch, as crowds line the Main Ring and passionately cheer on their favourite canine,” Jane said. “The Show also attracted some exceptional talent in the various livestock and rural competitions this year, which provides an opportunity to show non-rural folk the many wonderful aspects of New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Wood chopping at the Rural Village on Saturday. PHOTO: Supplied“Overall, it has been another sensational Show, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended and helped to produce the event. We had more than 270 volunteers this year, which is fantastic.”    The Wānaka A&P Show is one of New Zealand’s largest agricultural and pastoral events.Local rider Zoe Innes jumps a double clear round to earn fourth in a round-the-ring event. PHOTO: Wānaka App Next year’s Wānaka A&P Show will be held on March 7-8, 2025.

Keeping pace with a changing Wānaka is one of the things Jane Stalker loves about her job.Twenty years of co-ordinating the Wānaka A&P Show hasn't dimmed her enthusiasm for keeping Wānaka's diverse community engaged with the annual event. Jane, who has been the show co-ordinator since 1997 (apart from two years in the mid-2000s), says the challenge of organising the show comes down to keeping up with Wānaka and its mentality. “You have to relate it to how Wānaka is and how it was,” she says.Things have changed enormously since Jane's early days in the role, when the show committee comprised close to 60 people and Jane's role was to take the minutes (by hand – there were no computers) at meetings in the Luggate Hall. “The perception of the A&P show was a bit staid; a bit old-fashioned,” Jane says. Expectations were lower in the 1990s, she says, but that began to change eight to 10 years ago – as computers became more important, new people moved into Wānaka, and events such as the Challenge were established.“Wānaka has changed; the whole event industry has changed,” says Jane. Over time the logistics of running the A&P show were streamlined, with fewer people on the committee and rules and regulations standardised. Meanwhile, the expectations of competitors and trade exhibitors also increased. “You're running it as a business now,” she says. “Every year it's changing and you can lift the bar a bit. You can't rest on your laurels.”Some things stay the same, however. “You've got to stay within your core business,” Jane says. She quotes the show's constitution, which was written in 1933: “To provide meetings, concerts and entertainments of every description for the benefit of persons residing in the vicinity of Pembroke.”Jane took the constitution to a lawyer a few years ago in case it needed updating and was told it was just fine. “It's great, I love it,” she says. It encapsulates everything from Mini Muscles to afternoon tea for Elmslie House visitors.Jane calls the Wānaka A&P show – the second biggest in the South Island - “our wee show”, but she is a true Scotswoman. She hails from near Glasgow, but left to travel at the age of 19. In 1988 she was hitchhiking through the Cardrona Valley when she caught a lift from Cardrona identity John Lee. Jane ended up working for the Lees and that's where she met her husband Doug (a former president of the Upper Clutha A&P Society). They now have three children, the eldest, Alannah, was just a baby when Fe Howie suggested the show co-ordinator role would be a good one for Jane, who is trained as a medical secretary.Back then, Jane “didn't know anything about animals”. Raised closer to the city than the country, she now describes herself as “a little bit town, a little bit country”. She loves the diversity of the role, she says, and that includes the people: from farmers in gumboots to corporate sponsors in suits.Jane believes the A&P show has kept pace with Wānaka, and she credits that to support from the committee and the office team. “I think what we do really well is we're all really passionate about it,” she says. “I'm proud the committee has made it such an iconic event.”The Wanaka A&P Show takes place on March 10 & 11.PHOTO: Wanaka App

The Wānaka A&P Show is a regular fixture on the local calendar, attracting tens of thousands of people from all over the country every year, and ahead of the 2023 show, the grounds are buzzing with activity as the many people involved prepare for the crowds and revelry of its 85th year.Enjoying the show is easy: there are equestrian events, farm animal competitions, food, and wine, stalls, entertainment, and regular celebrity sightings. Amid the fanfare it’s easy to forget the long history of the event, its significance to the region, and its roots - which go all the way back to 1700s Britain. The first ‘A&P (Agriculture and Pastoral) Show’ was held in the Scottish Highlands in 1882. Sixteen years later the Royal Agricultural Society was founded in England.In the early days shows were firmly farm and farmer focused, promoting advances in farming and fostering the use of scientific techniques.Pre-boom Wānaka and its smaller A&P Show.European immigrants moving to New Zealand were largely expected to work in agriculture, and the first New Zealand A&P show was held in the Bay of Islands in 1842.By the 1870s, some associations were holding annual shows. From then until the First World War, at least one A&P society was set up each year, and shows became common – in Southland in 1884 shows were held at Riverton, Gore, Wyndham and Invercargill. By the 1950s there were well over 100 shows held annually.Trade stalls add all sorts of shopping opportunities.The Upper Clutha A&P Show was started by local farmers in 1895. The society’s first president was John Hunt (best known as J.S), the grandfather of Phill Hunt, who still farms in the Maungawera Valley with his wife Lizzie Carruthers. Phill and his father Bill were both show presidents.The first local show was held in Alexandra, and in 1933 it was shifted to Wānaka, where it is still based at the same picturesque lakefront site in the centre of town.The modern A&P Show has entertainment galore.Show event manager Jane Stalker, who has been involved since 1997, said things have changed a lot since her early days in the role.“The perception of the A&P show was that it was a bit staid; a bit old-fashioned,” Jane said. Expectations were lower in the past, she says, but that began to change around a decade ago.“Wānaka has changed; the whole event industry has changed,” Jane said. Over time the logistics were streamlined, and the expectations of competitors and trade exhibitors also increased.“It’s run as a business now,” she said. “Every year it's changing and you can lift the bar a bit. You can't rest on your laurels.”The show now attracts roughly 40,000 people each year, including patrons, exhibitors and competitors. It’s one of the South Island’s largest and most popular A&P shows, and it offers a vast variety of reasons to visit.Regular live entertainment is now a mainstay at the event. There are more than 500 stalls, with everything from farming equipment to homeware and clothing available. And of course there are the more traditional events; equestrian and getting to see the animals up close, the famous Jack Russell race, fairground rides for children, and the baking, crafts and photography in the extraordinary home industry displays.Despite the evolution of the Upper Clutha A&P Show, its constitution (written in 1933) still seems appropriate: “To provide meetings, concerts and entertainment of every description for the benefit of persons residing in the vicinity of Pembroke.”Almost 100 years later it still rings true. Perhaps that’s what makes the Wānaka A&P Show so special.PHOTO: Wānaka A&P Show

Fe Howie reckons she didn’t say much at Wānaka A&P Show equestrian committee meetings for almost a decade, but after 30 years of such meetings she plays an integral part in preparations for the show at the Wānaka A&P grounds.Fe laughs now as she tries to recall the date she first attended a committee meeting.“Ooh, it was back in 1989,” she said. “Someone who we were renting a house from said would I be interested in being the show secretary because they knew I was involved with horses. I said no, I’d be a hopeless secretary, but I’d be happy to come on the equestrian committee as that was my interest and I’d help out at the show.”After a few meetings Fe realised that at some point everyone on the committee took a turn at being president and she would eventually have to stand up to talk in front of everyone. When Fe’s good friend Jane Stalker took over as secretary in 1998, Fe started doing the administration side of the horse entries. She continued in this role while also serving as president of the Upper Clutha A&P Society in 2011/12.Some 30 years later, Jane is the show manager and Fe the livestock manager and also chief steward of the 12-strong equestrian committee, all helping to get ready for this year’s show on March 10 and 11.The sheer number of horse and pony classes – 194 in total – is somewhat overwhelming to those outside equestrian sports but to Fe, with her many years of experience and knowledge, that’s just what the show involves.“Many of our classes are governed by the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand which count towards qualifying for the Horse of the Year show. Our show jumping classes are governed by Equestrian Sports NZ, but outside that we run other classes like the Pony Club classes and some games for kids.”Fe believes the current mix of classes offers a good balance, including classes just for locals as other A&P shows do.“There are two events which are particularly prestigious at our show, the Pony Hunter Championship and Hunter Championship which involve qualifying rounds on Friday with the top ten in each competing in Saturday’s final.”Horse entries have increased this year with 270 ponies and horses entered in the 194 classes. “There are always swings and roundabouts in terms of numbers. The basic classes have remained unchanged for many years being part of the Royal Agricultural Society.” Around 12 years ago with Wānaka’s hosting of the Royal Event, Fe’s role expanded into livestock manager alongside her equestrian commitments. She processes all entries for cattle, sheep, and boer goats as well as horses. The Hereford feature show this year means an impressive line-up of about 100 head of cattle. Merino numbers are particularly strong in the sheep section, and Fe rates 53 entries in the boer goats as “really good”. A lot of fleeces come in on the day, but indications are for an excellent display in that pavilion too.“I use a specific programme for A&P shows which gives me all the reports I need for judging, assigning yards and so on. I check if pony height certificates or breed registrations are needed, are they entered in the right section or class. Everything gets collated for the catalogue, then I start printing entry sheets for judges and announcers. Each ring – about 18 in total – has a large plastic box into which we put everything they require like trophies, ribbons, prizes, etc.”When asked how much longer she might continue in these roles for the show, Fe said that she and Jane have literally held each other’s hands since the late ‘90s. “We work together really well, and it’s been our baby for a really long time. I’ve always said, when you go, I go, but it’s a situation I’ll have to assess as we go.”Fe has support in her administration role during the hectic week before the show and during the show itself when she has to be out among entrants and competition rings making sure everything’s as it should be. “We would be remiss if we didn’t have someone who knows how to jump in and run the programme. Hopefully this could lead to having someone ready to take over in time.”Fe’s own links to A&P shows date back to her childhood. “I was born and bred on Castle Point Station and competed in A&P shows on my ponies as a child.”She trained as a laboratory assistant for cancer diagnostics before heading overseas to work as a jillaroo on a big Queensland property and as a stud groom. “I went to Massey and studied wool classing, although I never worked as a wool classer because I went back to polo grooming overseas.” Then came a period of spending her winters in Wānaka, working as a liftie at Cardrona, then North America winters in Florida as a polo groom. “I met Ross (Fe’s husband) here in 1986 and that’s how I ended up staying off the back of ten seasons polo grooming in Australia and the US. I wanted to keep my involvement with horses but didn’t have a horse so offered to help with the local Pony Club and I’ve been involved ever since.”The Hāwea Wānaka Pony Club is a branch of the Central Otago Pony Club and Fe has been branch president and head coach, as well as the club president and head coach. “I continue to coach at the branch here and my daughter Cate went through our local Pony Club too. She still jumps on a horse when she can, but with a young one herself now, it’s not so easy.”Cate has also been roped into the equestrian committee for the show.While Fe no longer rides (following a back fusion last year), she and Ross still have horses on their property near Wānaka airport.The 86th annual Wānaka A&P Show gets underway 8.00am on Friday March 10.PHOTO: Wānaka App