MUD is not glorious for the Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show Society committee, with less than three weeks to go before their major annual event at the Showground.

The Arena, which should be the centrepiece of the Showground, and is where the grand parade and opening of the show occurs, has areas that are unusable and huge patches 30cm (or more) deep with water and thick mud.

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Speaking with News Of The Area (NOTA) from the Arena with their gum boots on, Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show President Christopher Pearson, Vice President Margaret Crawley and horse ring Secretary Alice Rehwinkel told NOTA about their frustration and their determination to try to make some useable space to run the horse events and feature events in front of the grandstand during the Show.

“It’s an absolute mess,” said Chris, a life member of Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show and a member of both Armidale and Macksville Shows.

“This happens every year.

“It is trashed every year by the time we get it, and we have to pay for the remedial work.

“We pay to hire the Showground and then find the arena in a terrible mess, with bits of rubbish and rocks amongst the mud, and then have to call on the community to help us fix the mess,” said Margaret.

“Friends are helping by giving up their time to work on the grounds – the community is rallying like it always does in Coffs Harbour.

“The Coffs Harbour Show Society is paying a minimum of $5,000 from its modest funds to get labourers in and is spreading more than 80 ton of sand to fill in the holes and improve parts of the arena surface but it just isn’t enough.”

Chris is asking and urging the Crown Land Management Board, which operates the Showground, and State Government to come to the party and invest in repairing this infrastructure for a safe, usable arena.

“It doesn’t seem to be a priority yet it’s a major community asset,” said a frustrated Chris.

For Alice, and all involved in the horse and ring events, it’s the missed potential for the Show which she believes could be so much bigger if the facilities were well maintained.

Along with the state of the arena is the condition of the stables.

“At least twenty of the Showground stables are not usable,” she said.

Alice and other committee members are keen to action change and see growth for the horse and arena events.

“Overall, we are trying to improve the Arena grounds with our capacity, but we need more help now, and for the future,” she said.

With enough sun, minimum rain and Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show committee and friends and local businesses rallying together to drain the Arena and spread the sand, the group believe they will have some usable areas for the horse show.

“We’re looking forward to a great show weekend with horse competitions, hopefully fine weather and fun for all the family,” said Alice.

The Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show is on at the Coffs Harbour Showground, Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour from 13 to 15 May 2022.

For more info on the Show visit https://coffsharbourshowsociety.com.au/.

By Andrea FERRARI