Media release – Royal Hobart Show, 24 July 2023
Royal Hobart Show: in July
The first event of the 2023 Royal Hobart Show occurs later this week with Poultry, Pigeons and Canaries being judged in the Bob Scott Pavilion at the Brighton Showground on Saturday, July 29.
The public is welcome to attend free of charge. The day will include the annual, hotly contested north versus south Chook Challenge.
Normally held in October at the Showground as part of the Royal Hobart Show, this category of the Show was moved to this time of the year because of the redevelopment of the Showground. The new Hobart Showground is expected to open in 2025.
When entries closed on June 30, nearly 600 birds had been entered in Poultry, Pigeons and Canaries, including 422 poultry (ranging from Orpington black hens to silver Appleyard ducks), 96 pigeons and 61 canaries. It’s a welcome return for pigeons because last year the competition had to be cancelled after exhibitors came down with covid.
“The north versus south challenge sees 10 birds – five from northern Tasmania and five from southern Tasmania – picked at random and judged by non specialists,” says Mitch Spong, Operations Manager at the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania.
“It’s a fun event, usually held in the afternoon, that has become a strong tradition at the Show, with judges assessing the birds on attributes such as cuteness.”
The north won the challenge last year, leading to a palace putsch and the sacking of the judge, Royal Hobart Show chief Scott Gadd. A new judge has been appointed this year, McKinley Garwood, who is the RAST’s Operations Coordinator. Southern poultry exhibitors will be taking a keen interest in McKinley’s deliberations as this year’s judge.
