Royal Sydney Easter Show

On Sunday 12th April at 11:45pm the NHS Agriculture Angora show team set off to compete at the 2025 Sydney Royal Show. Arriving at 7:30am Monday we bumped into the Paddington Pavilion and settled the Angoras into their new home for the week. We also helped all the other exhibitors in unloading their animals and setting up their pens.

Once settled the boys competed in the Pig Paradors competition and organised our Mohair Fleeces for Judging. This year we helped the Alpacca’s as well as reintroducing Angora Goats to the parade after over a 10 year absence. This was a spectacle with Dogs, Sheep and Pigs. It was a thrill to be acknowledged by the ring announcers in front of the crowd.

After a delicious meal at the Cattleman’s Cafeteria we set off to find our accommodation. This year we stayed at an AirBnB at Gilford, and whilst it was much closer to the showgrounds, it was a little more cramped than our regular accommodation. At 10pm it was lights out and time to recharge the batteries as Tuesday was to be a 5:30am start for the Judging of all the Stud Animals. Rise and shine, stripy shirts on, and on the bus early, we arrived at the show grounds at 6:15am. Prior to breakfast the pens were cleaned, the animals fed and watered and made ready for competition. A huge thanks to Mrs Taipaleti for having our breakfast ready so that we had the energy required to make it through our second big day.

A massive day of Judging in the Open and School Stud Angora Show ring. The students and their animals were rewarded with many placings culminating in Grand Champion Junior Buck and Champion and Reserve Champion Senior Buck and in the open classes, Champion School Buck and Doe, Champion in Sires Progeny, Group of three Angoras and many more. Possibly the biggest highlight for the day was the time spent with Dr Harry from Better Homes and Gardens. Dr Harry spent most of the day with the team asking lots of questions and recording footage that will go to air on Better Homes and Gardens in June. The team also spent hours interacting with the public, answering any and all questions asked by the many visitors. The public took the time to meet all the animals enjoying finding out the individual animal’s names and personalities. A special mention to Jessica Wright who was interviewed live on the ABC radio Statewide Drive radio program, and Alexa Appleby who was interviewed on Channel 7 TV News.

On completion of judging and after dinner we all went to the main arena to watch the nights entertainment. This included Camp Drafting, Country vs City K9 Wall Climb Challenge, The Chicken Run, Aussie Stockman vs American Cowboy, Bison Stampede, Yard Dog Demonstration, Freestyle MotorX and of course the Fireworks to finish the night.

Wednesday started well as we had developed a sound routine that set us up for a good start to the day. After tending to the animals and having breakfast we all helped set up the show ring for the production classes in which the animals are shorn, fleeces classed and assigned a dollar value. To do this the floor had to be covered in plastic. Pens and shearers stand positioned along with a set of animal scales. Competition commenced with some of the team assisting the stewards in collecting and recording animals in their groups, whilst others assisted the shearer in removing the Mohair and presenting it to the Judge for assessment. The final results for the production classes were very pleasing with several first places as well as a few third places. Data is yet to be released but when available it will be posted on the schools Facebook page.

Judging of the schools Weather was also conducted with our teams being awarded first and second places, with Muirfield High School in third place and James Ruse High School in fourth place. In the individual led wether competition Narrandera was place 1st and 3rd, with Muirfield 2nd.

The day’s events concluded with the exhibitor’s dinner were the major prizes were awarded. This saw the team named the Most Successful School after been successful in the Schools Wether Presentation in which they were awarded first place, with Muirfield 2nd and James Ruse 3rd. After the presentations the team had and hour and a half to catch some rides down side show ally. Luckily it was a quieter night at the show and most managed to make it onto a few rides before it was time to board the bus again and return to our accommodation.

Thursday morning came all to quickly and we repeated our morning ritual to get ready for the Youth Paraders, and the Led Wether Paraders competitions, whilst beginning preparation for departing late in the day.

In the paraders competitions competitors were placed into their heats from which they needed to be placed in order to make the finals. Results in the Led Wether Final: 1st Jessica Wright, 3rd Gemma Hugo, 4th Lucy Gooden with Zanthe Richardson Highly Commended. In the youth Paraders Final: 1st Peter Skarlis, 2nd Jessica Wright, 4th Gabrielle Walsh, 5th Gemma Hugo and Highly Commended to Lucy Gooden.

A huge thanks to Mrs Taipaleti for accompanying us on this adventure. Without her assistance it would have been a greatly diminished boys own adventure. Meg’s assistance in the bus driving was a very small part of the larger roll she created to make this trip a truly enjoyable and memorable experience for the whole team

Mr Matt Shady

Agricultrual Teacher