Mary Sutherland and Myah Hunt at the show.
For the Year of the Farmer, the 137th Wellington Show outshone them all according to show committee president Lyn Jarvis.
She saw a rise in numbers across all sections this year including 100 wool entrants -well over that of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
She says the success comes down to the passion and dedication the stewards have for each of their sections.
As for the level of talent in town, Ms Jarvis said that it was always a surprise, despite seeing the entries in the lead-up.
“A lot of people travel here for the day and it is nice to be able to show Wellington off in a positive light,” she said.
Farmer of the year, Norm Smith officially opened the show and said he was both humbled and proud to represent farmers of the Wellington area.
“We have a long history with the Wellington show and the community,” he said.
This year, the art of tent-pegging drew in a crowd. Used by cavalry since ancient times, riders would drop the tents of an enemy camp by knocking the pegs out.
There were regular favourites including Crocodile Encounters where children were taught about native wildlife.
Animal handler Mark Richmond introduced them to a turtle responsible for five stitches and three hours at Queanbeyan hospital before pulling Crunch the crocodile out of an esky.
According to Mr Richmond, crocodiles can swim four times faster than an Olympic athlete and can sense movement up to 40 metres away in the water.
Senior Constable Shane Smith and Constable Jess Hannelly ran an exhibit on early policing featuring shackles, a man trap (manned by two people) and a scale to measure opium and gold.
Police dogs were also on
show.
Used in the police force since the early 1900’s, trainer Rob Calder said that German and Belgian Shepherds undergo regular assessments to ensure they are fit to work.
One can control 60-70 people and Mr Calder praised them for their loyalty, work ethic and logic.
“With these dogs, there’s no discrimination –everyone’s the same when they assess a situation.”