A Very Quiet Two Days at the Nelson

A & P Show Without the Public

The crowds that usually attend the large Nelson A & P show are absent this year due to Covid restrictions, nevertheless it hasn’t dulled the enthusiasm of the participants who come to the show to compete in various events.

The number of exhibits submitted by the general public and school children in various categories is still surprising and of high quality.

Participants came from all over the South Island to attend the Nelson A & P Show even though no public could attend only families of those people taking part in events.

I don’t think that since 1893 when the Nelson A & P Association was founded, to promote and encourage agricultural and pastoral activities, has there been a year like this one with no public to cheer on the participants, no children playing on rides and no cues for coffee or food. It was pleasing to see such a large contingent of parents and friends attending to support the participants young and older who took part.

The President of the Nelson A&P Show Ted Ford said "Since 1893 there has only three interruptions to the running of the show, in 1918 the show was postponed to February 1919 due to the influenza epidemic which had resulted in the newly built Grandstand being used as a temporary hospital. The next two interruptions occurred in the 1940s when the show was cancelled due to World War ll as the 7th Squadron of the Independent Mounted Rifles took over nearly full use of the Showgrounds from 1942 until 1944 making the running of the Nelson A&P show unfeasible for 1942 and 1943."

The following are photos of three events that took part on the 20th - 21st November 2021 A & P Show the Highland dancing, the sheep searing compition, and paintings and other mediums from children.

The Highland Dancing

'Seann Triubhas'

In the late 18th century, the dance was performed to a fiddle tune called 'Seann Triubhas Uilleachan' (Gaelic for 'Willie's old trousers'), previously and more scurrilously called 'The De'il Stick the Minister'. When the dance began to be incorporated into Highland Dance competitions, which were usually played for by pipers, the tune was changed to 'Whistle O'er the Lave o't', which could be played on the bagpipe and is the tune commonly used for the dance today.

In contemporary competitive Highland Dance, after dancing three to four steps, the dancer will clap, which signals the piper to speed up the music.

The Seann Triubhas is now danced at most Highland Dance competitions around the world. Dancers usually start dancing it in the Beginner category at competitions, and continue to dance it up to Premier. This dance is also common in most Highland and Theory exams. Dancers wear the standard kilt outfit to perform this dance, though it historically had been performed in tartan trews as well. ( Ref: Wikipedia)

Jessica Radka (Under 14 Dancer) Christshurch

Emmgen Brown (Senior) Christchurch.

Emily Smith (Senior) Christchurch.

From left to right: Emmgen Brown, Pete Greenslade, (Mail senior ChCh), Emily Smith, Jessica Radka.

Highland Dancing Prizegiving, November 20 2021 Nelson A & P Show
Photo thanks to Anthea Lees. The only extra name I have other than those named above is the fourth from the left in front in this photo: Sean Radka (Junior Dancer Christchurch)

The Highland dancing was very skilled and well performed. It would have been a hard job sorting out the winners as they were all superb dancers and I'm sure their parents are so proud.

The full results for all winners will be on the Nelson

A & P Show web site from Monday on.

Other Highland dancing

Sheep Shearing Competition

I was only at the shearing for the intermediate final on the 20th November 2021. Three shearers were competing one woman and two men. Jimmy Napier from Riversdale, Southland, Kimberly MacLean from Motueka, and Timo Hicks from Tapawera. They all had a hard job shearing very non-cooperative sheep but they all had the skills to achieve a hard shear.

Kimberly MacLean

Jimmy Napier (Standing in blue singlet at the rear) he has just finished.

Timo Hicks

Paintings and other mediums:

There have been hundreds of entries to the above competitions in the show from school children and very few people to see the very high quality of work.