Record crowds and sunshine at Bourke Show
- thewesternherald
- May 22
- 3 min read
The 2025 Bourke Show has been hailed as a huge success by organisers with big crowds flocking to the showgrounds on Saturday.
“It went really well; it was excellent,” said Ben Ritchie, President of the Bourke Show Society.
“We had about five millimetres of rain on the showgrounds the night before which was perfect as it settled the dust.”
Reports of a heavy downpour of 22mm at the Bourke Airport on show morning were of initial concern, but Mr Ritchie said that the Renshaw area in Bourke was lucky to have avoided most of the rain.
“When I saw that in the morning on my phone, I had a bit of a panic attack,” Mr Ritchie said. But the sky cleared, the sun came out, and everything went ahead as normal.”
The community turned out in force, delivering the biggest attendance in the show’s history.
“We had about 1,700 to 1,800 through the gate above the normal 1,000 to 1,100,” Mr Ritchie said.
He credited sponsor Maranguka for its role in boosting attendance.
“Maranguka paid for some of the gate tickets if people filled out a questionnaire about things in Bourke which worked very well – and the extra people this attracted made a big difference.
“The Maranguka organisation was proud to partner with the Bourke Show Committee, RUOK and Headspace campaigns to promote community involvement and mental health,” he said.
There were some excellent exhibits and entries into the pavilion. It looked fantastic.”
Bourke Show committee members, Prue Ritchie, Pam Simpson, Marie Stephenson and Meredith Thompson were all presented with an honorary life membership.
Bourke Mayor Lachlan Ford officially opened the show, congratulating the organising committee ‘a job well done’.
Councillor Ford said that the Bourke Show could not go ahead without the efforts of a large group of voluntary committee members.
Crowd favourites such as the JC Action Sports bike stunt shows and the evening fireworks display were major hits.
A highlight of the day was the announcement of the 2025 Bourke Young Woman, Eliza Urquhart, who will go on to represent the district at the next zone final.
The horse events, coordinated by Ringmaster Shane Smith, were also well supported.
The showjumping was hotly contested. Local talent Sally Simmons, a former Australian Junior Show Jump Champion from North Bourke, dominated many of the big classes.
Annabelle Hoy of Nyngan took out the point score for Best Show Jumper of the Day, while Elise Smith – another local – was named Supreme Champion Rider.
Young rider Ella Kilmartin, granddaughter of well-known Nyngan racing identity Rodney Rob, also impressed on her horse Alvern.
“She won Champion Junior Rider, the Keith Lowe Show Jumping Award, the Junior Barrel Race and the Feature Barrel Race,” said Mr Smith. “So Ella went home with a pocket full of money!”
The popular “Dash for Cash” 100-metre sprint events also crowned new champions: Clifton Cubby in the men’s race, and Lorraine Dutton in the women’s. Junior standout Lexi Simmons won her under-12 race and even placed third in the open category.
Mr Smith said that Mr Cubby’s running style turned heads.
“If you put a string line on the track and said, ‘run up that,’ I don’t think his feet would have left it,” Mr Smith said. “He was probably one of the neatest runners you would ever see.”
As always, the show concluded with a bang with fireworks by Steve Lees drawing cheers from the crowd. Mr Ritchie said it was a fitting end to a great show day.Top of Form
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“It was a really great show and topped off by the fireworks display and live band. Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed themselves, and to all our helpers– committee members and those who just pitch in on the day or afterwards. It makes an enormous difference,” Mr Ritchie said.
Major results from the Bourke Show appear on pages 20 and 21 of this week’s Western Herald.
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