Red Hill Agricultural & Horticultural Society Inc

It’s true … Agricultural Shows are the most popular form of family entertainment in Australia today, and here on the Mornington Peninsula we have one of the best. Every year thousands of people attend the Red Hill Show to enjoy a great family day and be part of this wonderful community celebration. The fourth weekend in March always brings the excitement and entertainment of the Show.

This will be the 80^th annual Red Hill Show (the only event of its kind on the Mornington Peninsula) and, as always, the entertainment, exhibitions, demonstrations and animals will be top class. This Show will also celebrate the fact that Agricultural and Horticultural Shows have been held on the Mornington Peninsula for 150 years. This is a fantastic achievement for our community and a specially produced history "A Show of our Own" will be available with the historical display in the Pioneers Produce Pavilion.

When the Show began in 1922, local people exhibited apples, flowers and vegetables along with the best butter, cooking and preserves from home and farm kitchens.   Show Day was declared a local holiday by the Shire of Flinders and a special train ran from Melbourne to bring spectators down to Red Hill, the journey taking over three hours.

Over the years, horses, sheep, cattle and alpacas were included in the Show – each new introduction indicating the changing face of farming on the Mornington Peninsula.   More recently we have added wine, avocados, olives, berries and cheese to the list of produce coming from this most acclaimed agricultural and horticultural area, and some of the very best local produce will be available at the Show for tasting and buying.

The Red Hill Show Society is the proud host of the International Cool Climate Wine Show, now in its 9^th year and attracting approximately 700 entries.   The wine show includes the fantastic Public Tasting on Wednesday March 5^th and the Awards Presentation Dinner on Friday, March 7^th. Click here for more information.

The animals at the Red Hill Show are always amazing.   There will be beef cattle, stud and black and coloured sheep, aristocratic alpacas, pigs, poultry, and much smaller in size but every bit as competitive will be the rats and mice.   There will be petting paddocks full of animals for young people to get to know.   Other Show Day demonstrations will include shearing, spinning, working dogs, woodwork, heritage machinery, craft and cake decorating.

A wide variety of exciting entertainments have been booked for the 2008 Show including the amazing performing Leopard Appaloosa Stallion “Regal” and his trainer Tony Golder. There will be circus workshops for children with the fabulous Westside Circus; Amateur Skateboarding Competitions; the very popular Storybook History Alive where Australian history comes alive with stories, demonstrations and artefacts, and lots of other activities for children including free face painting. You won’t want to miss the reptile display, and what would a Red Hill Show be without the “up-close” spectacle of the Grand Parade, the Dog High Scramble or the Ferret Racing? The all-day woodchop program will include the sensational tree-felling, 3 man relay and Hot Chainsaw races.

The Sound Stage program this year is amazing in itself. Featured top line artists are Jordie Lane and Suzanna Espie and local musician Gary Jones and his daughter will also perform.

Although the main Red Hill Show Day is Easter Saturday 22^nd March at the Red Hill Reserve, the Red Hill Open Horse Show will be held at the Balnarring Pony Club Grounds, Bittern on Sunday, March 9^th and the Showjumping events will be held on Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th March at the Treehaven Equestrian Club, 53 Western Port Highway, Somerville. Treehaven is a beautiful, purpose-built, all-weather, professionally developed facility owned by internationally recognised equestrians Laurie and Annie Lever. Facilities for spectators are first class and the 1 Ring Program features 8 spectacular showjumping events for A, B, C & D Grade horses as well as events for junior riders.

There is so much more to see and experience.
The Weekly Times (April 7^th, 2004) reports
“The Red Hill Show is always one of the state’s busiest and best run”
but come and see for yourself.

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The Red Hill A & H Society Open Horse Show

Venue : Balnarring Pony Club Grounds, Woolleys Road, Bittern (Melway ref:164 F7)

Date : Sunday, March 9^th 2008 from 8.30am
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The 80^th Annual Red Hill Show

Venue : Red Hill Showgrounds, Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill (Melway ref:190 J4)

Date    : Easter Saturday, March 22nd 2008 from 8.30am to 5pm.

Admission : Adults $15
                     Children 6-18 yrs $10
                     Children under 5 FREE
                     Students & Pensioners $10
                     Family (2 adults & 3 children 6-18yrs) $35

Parking : FREE
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The 2008 Red Hill A & H Society Showjumping

Venue : Treehaven Equestrian Centre, 53 Western Port Highway, Somerville (Melway ref: 149 E5)

Date : Saturday, April 5^th & Sunday, April 6^th 2008 from 8.30am

Admission: $10 per car, each day