The show is on!

While some details are still being finalised, the show is scheduled to go ahead at the Canterbury Agricultural Park on November 14, 15 and 16.

Traditionally the largest of the country’s A&P Shows and a highlight of the Christchurch calendar for more than 150 years, it was in doubt following the old board’s announcement in April that it would be financially unwise to proceed with a full-scale public show for 2024.

While livestock judging would still go ahead – as it did through the two Covid cancellations that largely contributed to the board’s financial woes – there would have been no public show.

However, the lifeline came in the form of Christchurch hospitality and events company, Event Hire, which approached the general committee offering to run the public side of the show.

Event Hire were in the entertainment business, said Murray.

“They could see an opportunity to run a show. So, we’re doing it sort of in partnership, but they are running their part and we’re running our part,” he said.

A major change is that the show traditionally ran Wednesday-Thursday-Friday, Friday being ‘Show Day,’ Canterbury’s statutory Provincial Anniversary public holiday.

At Event Hire’s request, the public show will now run Thursday- Friday-Saturday so that the public would have two non-workdays to attend.

Murray said the downside of that was that much of the A&P side of the event such as livestock judging would still run from Wednesday and there would be some things that the public won’t see if they come on the Saturday.

“And we’ve got to tell the public that, so they’re not disappointed when they come on Saturday.

“But Event Hire are very good entertainers, and instead of the horses going in the ring on the Saturday, there’ll be some really good entertainment in the ring to entertain the public.”

Murray said they hoped to re-jig the calendar to better co-ordinate the two sides in future years. A North Canterbury sheep and beef farmer, Murray is ex officio a member of the board as president of the general committee, and is the only survivor of the old board.

Also on the new board from the general committee are Brent Chamberlain and Lex Peddie.

Three new independent board members are former National Government Agriculture Minister Sir David Carter (who is the new chairman), Peter Engel, operations manager of mid-Canterbury agronomists Hazlett, and Ethan Hill, of BDO’s audit division.

Murray said the old board believed it would cost $2.1 million to run the show but the new board is confident they can run it for a third of that at $700,000.

“That’s really the long and the short of it. They’ve cut the costs to the absolute sliver,” said Murray.

“Peter Engel gave us a budget through the end of 2025 at our last board meeting. And we are in the black all the way through to the end of 2025, which the other board couldn’t manage.”