Show at Ward Domain Adults $10, under 17 free

Show Programme

Horse events

All other entries to be penned or in the buildings.

Sheep Counting

Harcourts Flaxbourne Future Farmer (Registrations from 9.30a.m. at Harcourts Gazebo)

Bring Your Pet to the Show Competition

Shearing Competition matically grown each year as more and more people get into establishing vegetable gardens and producing their own food,” she says.

Traditional handcrafts such as knitting, sewing and needlework continue to draw in the entries and this year there is a ‘Baby’s Vest’ knitting class from which all the vests will go to the Wairau Hospital Maternity Ward.

There will be classic cars on show and the over sixty trade displays will include a range of business from motorbikes and tractors to the likes of honey, handmade soap and olive oils. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to have a fun day out in the country,” says Bernadette. “Keeping

Pump Rite

the tradition of the A & P show alive is very important to us and we know that those who attend will thoroughly enjoy themselves.”

There is plenty of car parking available but no Eftpos facilities onsite. Entry is $10 per adult and children under 17 get in for free. The show starts at 8.15am.

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE Flaxbourne A & P Show

Speight’s Spouse Carrying Competition

McKendry Mazda Flaxbourne Flyer

Terrier Race

Grand Parade

Horse and Pony Show Jumping and Hunter Round the Ring

Hazletts Cookies Classic Shearing Competition

Ironman Competition

*Times may be subject to change

Admission:

$10 adults, under 17 years free (Sorry no EFTPOS)

Other Attractions:

Trade and Craft sites, Classic Cars, refreshments, food, BBQ, Coffee Carts, Competitions for sheep, wool fleeces, cooking, home produce, sewing, knitting, flowers, vegetables, photography, children’s handcraft, school art work, fodder.

WORDS BY MIKE INSLEY

It’s finally here…Vintage 2023

After a stuttering start Vintage 2023 is well and truly under way, as evidenced by the increasing number of trucks, harvesters and other machinery on Marlborough roads. Please take care and show some patience when you come across these in your own vehicle. The operators will pull over for you, when they deem it safe to do so. And while grape trucks are required to be covered, they are carrying a largely semi-liquid load that requires “gentle” driving. Sudden stops and starts will invariably lead to spillages and more delays for all road users while the clean-up takes place.

It’s been a bit touch and go getting to this point with the weather being decidedly average. The third consecutive La Nina year has brought easterly cloud and rain for a large part of the growing season. When I looked back at the two prior “triple header” La Nina periods, both had the third summer as being dry. While the period December – February rainfall has not far off our long term average, the lack of sunshine has meant longer periods of leaf and bunch wetness. This in turn raises disease risks and some vineyards are seeing the unenviable trifecta of Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew and Botrytis in their blocks.

Powdery mildew can be found nearly every season these days, and Botrytis is always a risk especially as the grapes size and ripen however Downy Mildew is less commonly seen. The spores require reasonable periods of warm, wet conditions to be able to germinate (10:10:24 is a good rule of thumb – 10mm of rain at temperatures above 10 °C and