xenith | Longford Show 2011

Just some photos from Longford Show last Saturday.

I think it's one of the biggest agricultural shows in the state, as it falls on the weekend between the Launceston Royal & the Hobart Royal, so a lot of exhibitors come over from the mainland and do all three.

Obviously it's at Longford, which is about 15 minutes out of Launceston. The first one was in 1857. Wonder if I can find a report from that. Show of the Northern Agricultural Society

Poultry in the shed at the back. Trade stalls & crafts in the shed to the left. The stripy tent was an eating area & stage. The animal nursery is just behind that, with a farm scene painted on the side. In the front, the side show area.

That's the arena. The kennel section is over the back (the long roof on the right) and the blue-roofed tents are mostly for those exhibitors.

And that's the sideshows again. So I'll start with a few photos from here because that's probably what you're going for, if you're not exhibiting.

It's a bit overcast. By which I mean, Sister claimed on the drive out that the weather was clearing because the sky was different shades of grey. It rained on and off during the morning.

Animal Wranglers Entertainment was the name of this pair. They put on a show with various animals inc. horses, dogs and a mule. Some of it was interesting, like the horse that lay down and covered itself with a blanket, and some of it was fun in a weird way (like this). It was a bit rushed though. I think they would have done better to have less different events, with more time spent on each.

Other animals of course. Not sure if this pair are part of the Animal Nursery or were doing else.

A reptile society had a display set up, with two snakes, a couple of skins and these blue tongues. Wasn't worth the effort it took us to find them.

Most animals were being exhibited.

I want one of these, a Brown Leghorn. Never seen on before, not even in a picture. I assumed the brown form was the same uniform colour that the common white on is. But this is pretty.

Paintings Exhibits, from the local primary schools. Not sure how you judge kid's paintings, but they were awarded prize certificates for different categories, those being age groups from the ones I looked at.

The trade/industry was rather disappointing. Only a handful of stalls.

I went over to arena while the exhibitors were warming up and positioned myself by a jump so I could get some photos. The horses had other ideas though.

Back to the side shows. The boys went in this. It went up. Shook a lot. Came down. They came out. Have no idea what went on inside.

Now the sky has cleared up, and we're about to go Up There. Not that I particularly wanted to, but Sister wanted to. At least she kept telling me it was $18 for four people, which I took to mean she thought all four of us should go up. And I thought it might be good for photos.

Which it was.

Long way down... They loaded and unloaded the seats so they didn't unbalance the wheel. So they took people out of the bottom carriage, put the next lot on and then moved that up. But they didn't load/unload consecutively, but skipped one or two each time. Which meant once it "stopped" we went around the wheel twice more, mostly not moving and getting bored/frustrated/upset, which rather ruined the ride :(

Once the rain went away, the wind picked up. Forunately, after we were off the ferris wheel.

I see these lolly things EVERYWHERE. I think they are at every event I've been to in recent years, yet I've never tried them. I tend to avoid them now, so I probably won't.