The Wakatipu's annual celebration of its rural roots pulled in the crowds on Saturday after getting a lucky break with the weather.
An estimated 6000 people flocked to the Lake Hayes A&P Show after gale-force winds the previous night caused a headache for organisers and stallholders setting up.
President Phillip Bunn said they were ‘‘incredibly lucky'' the day was relatively calm as the winds returned with a vengeance after the crowds left.
The crowd was one of the largest in the show's 101-year history, and as big as the site could cope with.
‘‘We couldn't get much bigger - we'd run out of parking and everything else.''
Stallholders reported doing excellent business, and all wanted to return next year.
The traditional line-up of equestrian competitions, sheep and wool classes, dog trials and shearing were matched with a home industries competition featuring cake-making, vegetable-growing and home brewing.
For the first time in a quarter of a century, cups were presented to the winners of all 13 categories, including three sections for children.
This year's show also made a plug for the New Zealand Rural Games - to be held in Queenstown on Waitangi weekend - by hosting a heat of the national gumboot-throwing competition and a woodchopping display by the Southland-Otago Axemen's Association.
The winners of the blue-ribbon equine events were Anna-Marie Chin, of Queenstown, who won supreme hack with Midas Touch, and Natasha Waddell, on Uptown Charlie Brown, who came from Ashburton to win the supreme pony cup.
Mr Bunn paid tribute to show secretary Pip Norton, a newcomer to the district, who despite a ‘‘baptism of fire'' had put in a huge effort and did an ‘‘amazing job''.
