Page 13 - The Outdoor Showman OCT-DEC 2018

VAS LTD NEWS
SOPHIE CROOKE-LAY WINS AGRICULTURAL SHOWS AUSTRALIA RURAL AMBASSADOR
Sophie was the winner of the 2017 Victorian Agricultural Shows Ltd Rural Ambassador Award and she represented Victoria and was the WINNER of the Agricultural Shows Australia National Final held during the Adelaide Royal Show in September 2018
Sophie come through the competition representing the Sale Agricultural Show Society and was fortunate enough to grow up on a Beef and Cropping farm,‘The Holey Plain’, in Gippsland, where I attended a local school; ‘Gippsland Grammar’, where I took a keen interest in science to later be accepted into Monash University to Study a Bachelor of Science Degree.
Throughout her life, she has been a keen show jumper and was in the Young rider squad for Victoria and competed interstate. Since graduating from University, she has moved back to Gippsland, where together with her partner will begin farming beef cattle and cropping. Aside from farming and horses, her other passion is ski instructing where she worked in Canada for two seasons. During her time at university, Sophie worked as a reptile handler and demonstrator.
Once Sophie moved home, she worked as a manager at a fertilizer company and is currently working in finance. Sophie has become heavily involved in her local Agricultural Show and the last couple of years has organized and ran a young farmers challenge, which was a great success!
On behalf of the Victorian Agricultural Shows Ltd we are very proud to have a home-grown National Ambassador winner.
Congratulations and we look forward to your contribution towards the Agricultural Show movement.
As we reach the tail end of the Victorian Spring Show season it is pleasing to receive reports that some shows had increased gates and this was mainly due to several weekends of fine weather.
The partnership between the Victorian Showmen’s Guild and the Victorian Agricultural Shows Ltd is vitally important to the success of the Shows as the Showmen’s Guild needs Shows to
participate at and the Shows need amusements to attract the crowds. Several Shows reported problems in getting enough equipment provided and VAS Ltd is encouraging all shows to work closely with the Guild and Justine Sinclair as the Guilds Executive Officer.
I can respect that owners of amusements need to make substantial income to survive but the whole industry was built on Shows and now there are many other events that attract amusements which is creating problems for the long-term future of the Shows. This is why it is very important that both groups work closely together for the future benefits of all concerned.
As I reflect on the year that has past there has been a lot happen. Agricultural Shows Australia is now the National governing organisation comprising of Royal and Country Show Members and in March this year I was elected as a Director of the Board. I encourage Members to put forward anything they would like addressed at Board level for the betterment of Shows at large.
Prior to June 2018 I have managed the Bendigo Showgrounds and Secretary of the Bendigo Agricultural Show for the past 17 years. I left this position and I now operate from my home office complex servicing the Victorian Agricultural Shows and the Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society of Australia.
I would like to thank all the various people that have wished me well since my departure from the Bendigo Showgrounds and I look forward to working with the Guild and its Members in the years to come.
The year-round activities don’t take long to pass and as we reach this time of Christmas, I would like to wish all Guild and Show Societies all the best for the Christmas season. As Australia has experienced fires, floods, droughts and tough economic times I hope that the 2019 year is a prosperous one.
Best wishes for the festive season.
Rod Bowles
VAS Ltd Executive Officer
OCT-DEC 2018 THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN 11