These events are often among the most heavily-populated at the show, and Anderson expects this year to see even more competitors take part not in spite of the bushfires which have raged in recent months, but because of them.

"We'll have a whole lot more horses here because a lot of the shows have had to cancel," he said. He empathised with the show societies that have had to cancel their annual events, including Tarago and Braidwood, to name just a few.

The Crookwell AP&H Society was "very fortunate" that the fires didn't threaten the town, Anderson said, though he did mention that judges were difficult to come by as a result of the natural disaster. But now that all the judges have been confirmed and entries continue to pour in, Anderson is only worried about one thing. "We'll have good numbers of competitors, which is a worry [laughs]," he said. "Just fitting them in, the grounds are quite adequate but they're not oversize. I'm sure we'll handle it though."

The reason competitors are so eager to flock to Crookwell in the absence of the other shows is due to their desire to qualify for the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. "They come here chasing points to be eligible to go to the Sydney show, because they've got to have a certain amount of points before they can go," Anderson said. "There's always a rush on Crookwell, we've been getting good numbers on horses for quite a while."

The communities that have postponed their shows, Anderson believes, have lost more than just the economic boost which accompanies similar events. "You need a show for more than finance," he said. "A lot of people don't see one another for 12 months of the year. [The shows are a chance] to have a yarn about their livestock and so forth." The Crookwell Show will take place on February 8 and 9 at the Crookwell Showgrounds.

Chief Stewards: Adam and Kim Derwent

Ring One - Hacks

Ring Two - Galloways

Ring Three - Pony Hacks

Ring Four - Breeds

Ring Five - Shetland Ponies and Harness

Ring Six - Heavy Horse

Ring Seven - Inter Club Driven Cones Competition

Ring One - Stock Horses

Ring Two - Pony Club

Ring Three - Breeds

Ring Four - Sporting