Huge congratulations to Wauchope Showgirl Nikki Gibbs who has become the 2018 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl.
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Nikki competed against 500 young women – 14 in the final – in The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition state finals. It aims to find a young female ambassador for rural NSW and the agricultural show movement.
To get to Sydney, Nikki showed a genuine interest in, and knowledge of, rural NSW. Contestants were judged on personality, confidence, ambition and life goals, general knowledge, rural knowledge, presentation and speech. Runner up was Pollyanna Easey from Quirindi and third was Grace Allen from Forbes.
Wauchope Showgirl competition organiser Lesley Olsen was at the ceremony when Nikki won on Sunday March 25.
“We are thrilled and extremely proud as a Show Society to have Nikki win The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition,” said Lesley.
“Wauchope Showgirl Competition celebrates its 52nd year this year, Nikki is our 5th State Finalist, the first girl fromWauchope to win The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition.
“Nikki will be a wonderful ambassador for the rural Show movement, for the next 12 months Nikki will represent the RAS and ASC throughout country NSW,” she said.
“We look forward to exciting times ahead for Nikki and our Wauchope Show Society.”
“For me, it started in 2016 when I first competed in Showgirl and I got runner-up,” said Nikki who works as a veterinary nurse at Timbertown Vet Hospital.
“I turned 24 in 2017 so it was the last year I could enter. I was thrilled to become Wauchope Showgirl and get through the Zone final to go to Sydney,” Nikki told the Gazette before the final.
“I got involved with our development day. We got someone to teach us about deportment and public speaking. I stayed in touch with those mentors.
“During the year, I had the opportunity to speak more in public. I am now a representative of Wauchope Show Society, a figure for rural women and rural youth and show that young girls can give things a go, and step out of their comfort zones,” she said.
Nikki says everybody in Wauchope Show Society is extremely passionate about getting the youth involved.
“The show is a massive part of our community in Wauchope. It’s the 108th Show on April 6 and 7. I am a director on the board so I am already heavily involved with the Show. The country show movement has shaped me to be the woman I am,” she added.
Nikki’s family have a great history of involvement in the Wauchope Show. Her history great grandfather was ring master, her great grandmother was president of the Ladies Auxiliary.
“My Pop, Hilton Stubbs has had a life-long involvement with the show including ring events and organsing the campdraft. My Nan, Marie Stubbs is vice-present of the Ladies Auxiliary.
“I got involved as a little girl. The food is the best. It’s the one stop you have to have in the show. And my Mum, Wendy Gibbs is working in the ring as deputy ring master,” she said.
Her grandparents have a property at Sancrox and Nikki’s family live at Pembrooke, where they have horses, cattle, chickens, dogs and cats.
“It’s a bit of a menagerie. Growing up on the land, I am passionate about animal care and animal health,” said Nikki.
“500 girls compete in The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl competition, so it’s a real honour to represent Wauchope,” she added.
“We are extremely proud to have Wauchope Show Society represented at Sydney Royal Easter Show three years in a row,” said Lesley Olsen who organises the Wauchope Showgirl competition.
Jaclyn Lindsay (2016 Wauchope Showgirl) and Ashley Olsen (2015 Wauchope Showgirl) also represented the Society at Sydney.