By Samantha Wantling
At the height on the drought on the Granite Belt in 2020, the Stanthorpe Show refused to be beaten and opted to push ahead to give residents a glimmer of hope.
What that meant for many of the livestock sections was greatly reduced, and in some cases, no stock.
But local girl Annie MItchell was not going to let a drought stand in the way of showing something in the Sheep pavilion.
And so, the Ingenious Sheep Competition was born.
“It started as a bit of a joke, but also as a lighthearted way to involve the wider community and younger people into understanding this section and what goes into a show, “ Annie said.
So, instead of showing live sheep, school children and residents with a flair for the dramatic arts could make sheep and enter them into the competition. Life size, miniature and everything in between made its appearance. Some were anatomically correct, other left a lot to the imagination, but the common thread was showing that, regardless of the drought, bought a smile to the viewers faces.
Labor spokesperson for the Southern Downs Joel Richters said this competition is truly ingenious and the talent seems to be endless.
“I have been honoured to judge this competition for the last four years, and each year I have been truly blown away by the efforts and artistry that is on display,” Mr Rickters said.
“I can imagine families sitting around the kitchen table making these sheep for the competition while wondering when they will be able to restock following the drought.“
“I have been privileged to hear some of the stories of the properties behind the entries and I’m heartened by the drive and energy that is still present in families doing it tough,“ he explained.
This year, Annie and fellow judges Mr Richters and Steve Thomas decided to call it a day and end the competition on an upbeat note.
“Over the four years there really has been so much innovation and seeing my goal achieved, getting children involved, has been a real highlight,“ Annie explained.
“Look at this year, there was some pretty stiff competition in the miniature breeds this year, and early on it looked like the ones to beat were going to be Thulimbaaaaaah School with their un-baaaaaa-lievable entries,“ Annie noted.
“This school really did their homework and research and used curriculum links to bring the show into the classroom….what a win, win that is for everyone.“
Of course, in true dramatic style, this year competition ended on an unusual note.
Between the hours of 4.30pm and 6.30pm on the Friday, Lambert, the prize-winning entry, went missing, The ribbon wasn’t taken, but obviously someone through Lambert would hang well in their kitchen.
The alarm was immediately raised and wanted posters started making appearances on every available space on the show grounds and on social media. Low and behold by 3.30pm on Saturday someone anonymously handed Lambert into the show secretary.
“What a way to go out with a bang“, Annie joked.
“Controversy and scandal in the sheep pavilion. But it all ended well and it’s something I won’t forget.“
When asked if this really means the end of this section Annie replied “well never say never”.
“So many sections and general members of the community have pleaded to keep the event going, but it’s like everything,” she said.
“We need more entries and more support to keep it alive so for the moment, this is it, but you never know what the next twelve months might bring.”
