Big crowds at A&P Show
Hundreds of people got to see the farm animals and enjoy the rides at Stratford A&P Show over the weekend.
Visitors to the A&P Showgrounds on Flint Rd included four-year-old Laura Hinton, who was having fun on the merry-go-round.
However, afterwards Laura, who’s from Stratford, said she was excited to try something faster as she thought the merry-go-round went a bit slow.
The Stratford A&P Show has been running for more than 100 years and included livestock displays, trade exhibitors and various kinds of stalls, fairground rides, traditional wood chopping events and sheep shearing.
Sonya Joyce, who has been a regular at the show for several years, took a short break from working at her stall to take Laura on the merry-go-round.
‘‘There seems to be fewer rides this year but I think the atmosphere is a lot better,’’ she said.
The bright blue skies and hot weather that greeted Saturday’s event gave way to wind and occasional rain on Sunday, but Sonya said she couldn’t complain as it was better than last year’s conditions.
‘‘Yesterday was so sweltering hot,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve got a stand there and it seems to be blowing it all away but it is good, better than last year because last year’s weather was horrible.’’
A woman was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious condition after falling off a horse at the A&P Show on Saturday morning.
St John Ambulance were called to show at 10.20am after a woman fell from her horse while competing in a showjumping event.
Equestrian Steward for the show, Glenda Schumacher, said the woman was injured in the way she landed.
Medics were quick to respond, she said.
Schumacher said the woman was not from the Taranaki region and had travelled to Stratford to compete.