Rural show comes to Ward

ing and knitting, handcrafts and photography.

The much-loved annual Flaxbourne A & P Show gets underway at the Ward Domain on Sunday 26 March for the 97th time, a fabulous day out for Marlborough families and competitors who come from all over the top of the south to enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere. A committee of volunteers run the annual event and President Martin Pattie enjoys the camaraderie that the show brings. It is a great opportunity for the local rural population and town folk to enjoy the animals and country pursuits on display. “There’s lots of green grass this year and it’s a good autumn so we’re expecting a great show,” he says. The show’s programme is full of events that the whole family can enjoy and includes a pipe band, horse and pony events, competitions for sheep, cooking, home produce, vegetables, flowers, sew-

There is the fun of the sideshows along with a Spouse Carrying Race, Terrier Race, Harcourt Junior Farmer Competition, McKendry Mazda Flaxbourne Flyer Competition, Shearing and a Sheep Counting competition. Alongside the coffee carts there are plenty of traditional fairground treats to be had including ice-cream, candyfloss, chips, hotdogs while the local school and the Seddon Lion’s Club are doing barbecues. The well-known Sturgeon family who have been operating fairground equipment since 1945 bring an array of carnival rides and amusements to add to the fun.

Sixth generation local sheep and beef farmer, Kevin Loe, can remember attending all but two shows in his lifetime. “My family have always been a part of it,” he says. “There are elderly people from other early farming families