MEDIA RELEASE
Immediate release
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
THAT’S A WRAP: THE 2013 ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has announced that more than 510,000 people will have attended Victoria’s largest annual community event, the Royal Melbourne Show, when it ends at 9.30pm today, Wednesday 2 October 2013.
Open for an additional day this year, the 2013 Royal Melbourne Show’s exciting program of blue ribbon all-stars, agricultural discovery, thrilling attractions and epicurean wonders attracted strong crowds across the 12-day event.
A new daily attendance record was set with 80,000 people flocking through the gates on Sunday, 29 September 2013 alone.
Visitors took advantage of pre-event ticket sales, which were up 16 per cent on last year’s figures. The great value Ticket to Ride package was a popular choice, experiencing a 30 per cent increase in sales this year.
RASV CEO Mr Mark O’Sullivan said the Royal Melbourne Show is a draw card on Victoria’s major events calendar and provides a valuable platform to promote and celebrate excellence in Victorian agriculture.
“The Royal Melbourne Show continues to be Victoria’s largest annual community event and the decision to keep the event open for an additional day during the school holidays was well received.
“Driving regional and interstate tourism to the city, the Royal Melbourne Show provides visitors a unique experience of Victorian agriculture through educational, fun and interactive activities and entertainment,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
This year the Royal Melbourne Show boasted the largest exhibition of animals in Victoria, with more than 15,000 competition entries received, where more than 620 beef cattle, 880 horses, 3,500 dogs and 500 sheep and goats competed to win a prestigious blue ribbon.
The new, free Royal Melbourne Show iPhone app, developed in partnership with the Victorian Government, was downloaded more than 40,000 times in less than one month, while royalshow.com.au received more than one million visits during September.
More than 8,000 people were involved in delivering the 2013 Royal Melbourne Show, including 1,500 volunteers who donated more than 42,000 hours of their time in the lead up to and during the event.
The Royal Melbourne Show promotes and celebrates excellence in Victorian agriculture and was held from Saturday, 21 September to Wednesday, 2 October 2014 at Melbourne Showgrounds.
The 2014 event will be held from Saturday, 20 September to Wednesday, 1 October 2014. For more information about the Royal Melbourne Show visit www.royalshow.com.au.
For media enquiries and images contact Wrights on behalf of the RASV:
Jess Jafer on +61 403 042 855 or at [email protected]
Erin Mitchell on +61 406 151 340or at [email protected]
ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW FACTS AND FIGURES
Animals and competitions
- · 620 beef cattle
- · 880 horses
- · 3,500 dogs
- · 500 sheep and goats
- · 15,000 competitive entries in total
- · More than 400,000 people visited the Animal Nursery where 450 animals of 18 varieties were seen, cuddled and fed, including lambs, kids, piglets and chicks
- · The heaviest bull weighed 1.32 tonnes, with a total of six bulls weighing over one tonne each
- · The heaviest ram weighed 168.5kg
- · 1,576 logs of wood used for the Royal Melbourne Woodchop Championship
Food and beverage
- · 100,000 cups of coffee
- · 35,000 dagwood dogs
- · 20,000 cobs of corn
- · 6,500 sushi rolls
- · 5,000 Country Women’s Association scones
Tastes of Victoria Pavilion
- · 3,000 Royal Melbourne Fine Food Deli bags were sold
- · 1,300 glasses of award-winning wine from the Royal Melbourne Show Wine were consumed
- · 96 master classes with experts in wine, beer, cider, cheese, chocolate and coffee
- · 84 cooking demonstrations with Victoria’s top chefs including Ian Curley, Philippa Sibley, Matt Wilkinson, Andrew McConnell, Ravi Presser, Nicky Riemer and Darren Purchese
- · Four outstanding pop-up restaurants including Albert St Food & Wine, Fonda Mexican, Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio and Union Dining
Entertainment
- · 170,000 people visited the Commonwealth Bank Entertainment Dome
- · 125,000 people visited the MasterChef Kitchen, which was open to the public for the first time
- · 216 performances in the Commonwealth Bank Entertainment Dome
- · 3,700 people at the X Factor performances and meet and greets
- · 2,100 people at the Australia’s Got Talent performance and meet and greet
- · 2,100 people at the Home and Away Q&A and meet and greet
- · 2,100 people at the Big Brother Evictees Q&A and meet and greet
- · 408 hours of entertainment provided
- · 25 performances on the Coca-Cola Arena
Free interactive activities
- · 18,000 veggies dug up in the Veggie Patch
- · 9,700 seedlings potted at Little Green Thumbs
- · 9,000 people visited the Milking Barn, where more than 1,500 litres of milk was produced
- · 6,500 grassy caterpillars were made
- · 240 fleeces shorn in the Shearing Shed in the Paddock to Plate Pavilion
Showbags and rides
- · 50,000 Bertie Beetle showbags sold
- · The most popular ride was the ferris wheel, which completed 17,000 rotations – enough to travel from Melbourne to Sydney
BLUE RIBBON ALL-STARS AT THE ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW
BEEF
- · Supreme Exhibit awarded to Sprys Patent Fancy Pants, exhibited by DW & MF Spencer, Yuroke VIC
- · Interbreed Junior Champion Heifer awarded to Myers Lady Luck, exhibited by S Myers & S Beresford, Moss Vale NSW
- · Interbreed Senior Champion Female awarded to Sprys Patent Fancy Pants, exhibited by DW & MF Spencer, Yuroke VIC
- · Interbreed Junior Champion Bull awarded to Highrange Hurricane 101, exhibited by MC & TS Walker, Mittagong NSW
- · Interbreed Senior Champion Bull awarded to Mawarra Air Marshall exhibited by Mawarra Herefords, Longford VIC
- · Supreme Whiteface Exhibit awarded to Kanimbla Revona exhibited by Kanimbla Partnership, Holbrook NSW
- · Borthwick Trophy awarded to the South Devons, with three animals coming from Billabong High School, Team H – King and Button and The Bend South Devons
- · Hereford Grand Champion Bull awarded Mawarra Air Marshall exhibited by Mawarra Herefords, Longford VIC
- · Hereford Grand Champion Female awarded to Talis Twilight exhibited by the MacLachlan Group, Glenquarry NSW
- · Poll Hereford Grand Champion Bull awarded to Days Robin Hood exhibited by Days Whiteface, Bordertown SA
- · Poll Hereford Grand Champion Cow or Heifer awarded to Kanimbla Revona exhibited by Kanimbla Partnership, Holbrook NSW
- · Miniature Hereford Grand Champion Bull awarded to Boomer Creek Mack exhibited by Winswood Miniature Herefords, Nar Nar Goon VIC
- · Miniature Hereford Grand Champion Cow or Heifer awarded to Winswood Annie exhibited by Winswood Miniature Herefords,Nar Nar Goon VIC
SHEEP
- · Roy Harris Memorial Award for Champion Poll Dorset Ram awarded to Leenala of Naracoote, SA
- · D V Spencer Memorial Award for Champion Poll Dorset Ewe awarded to N S Armstrong of Marrar,NSW
- · Dalmore Trophy for Best Ram of All Breeds awarded to I J and P R Kyle of Bairnsdale, VIC
- · Best Ewe of All Breeds awarded to N S Armstrong of Marrar, NSW
GOATS
- · Most Successful Dairy Goat Breeder awarded Reafs Ridge Bria exhibited by R & E Bueti of Mount Gambier, SA
- · Supreme Champion Dairy Doe awarded to Tallulah Bella exhibited by B Lepoidevin & R Philip of Mansfield, VIC
- · Most Successful Boer Goat Exhibitor awarded to K & J Vesty of Deniliquin, NSW
- · Supreme Champion Boer Goat awarded to Ghin Ghin 3339 exhibited by Ghin Ghin Boer Goat Stud of Yea, VIC
DOGS
- · Best in Showawarded to Supreme Champion Huffish Dynamite Street, a Standard Poodle imported from Sweden, exhibited by Miss C Tell-Collinge and Mr B Hamilton of Diggers Rest, VIC
- · Best Puppy in Show awarded to Hesterhope Never Ask Why for Daykene, a Pointer imported from New Zealand, exhibited by Miss T Buckley of Evatt ACT
- · Best Baby Puppy in Show awarded to Kalaska The Girls On Fire, a Samoyed from Australia, exhibited by D Klaaysen, J Beard & K O’Riley of Mount Evelyn, VIC
- · Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout awarded to Mrs Susanne Pedersen of Strathfieldsaye and her horse WS Coast
- · FEI World Cup Showjumpingawarded to Merrick Ubank from Queensland and his bay Warmblood gelding, Aladino
- · Exhibition Eventing awarded to Ms A Ross and her horse William Wordsworth
ART CRAFT & COOKERY
- · The Florence Monod Memorial Award for Best in Show Craft awarded to Anne-Maree Hain
- · Best in Show Decorated Cake awarded to Cuc Thanh Lam
- · Best Novice Wedding Decorated Cake awarded to Constandina Karamaloudis
WOODCHOP
- · Golden Axe, Grand Aggregate Trophy, awarded to Daniel Gurr of Deloraine, TAS
OTHER
- · Young Farmers Challenge awarded to the South Gippsland team, consisting of Brownwen Russel from Buffalo, Tristan and Shane Zuidema from Leongatha, Eoin Gleeson from Nyora and Sally Pate from Leongatha