The chance to feed lambs and ride horses gave Outram School pupils a break from arithmetic yesterday as children and their parents enjoyed the school's pet day at the Outram rodeo grounds.
More than 100 pupils had pets in tow, ranging from goats to fish.
Horses, calves, lambs, dogs and chickens were also paraded by proud owners.
A few rain showers early in the day were replaced with sunshine and the event was a success, organiser and Outram School teacher Lynda Bayne said.
The pet day had been held every two years since 2001 and continued to get bigger each time, she said.
''Our school roll is about 250 and we had two preschools come along as well.''
It generated a few thousand dollars for the school, and gave some pupils the opportunity to raise funds for camps.
But the main motivation was to provide a bit of fun for pupils, school staff and the wider community, Mrs Bayne said.
Gumboot and tyre-throwing entertained adults while pets were judged. Lunchtime entertainment included music and dance from pupils, and a grand parade preceded animal competitions such as feeding lambs.
A new feature of this year's pet day was a young farmer of the year competition, which had pupils shifting hay bales, putting up fences and displaying other rural skills.
