Despite The New Zealand Agricultural Show being cancelled this year - smaller events are still taking place at the show grounds.
Photo: RNZ / Sally Murphy
Organisers made the decision to cancel the show last month amidst uncertainty around Covid-19 restrictions.
It was a devastating blow for farmers and breeders who spend months preparing to show their animals at the show.
The grounds would normally welcome 100,000 people over this weekend to look at exhibits, farm equipment and animals but this year the grounds are pretty bare.
There are some events still taking place - the woolhandling championship is on today and the shearing tomorrow.
Photo: RNZ / Sally Murphy
Show Shearing and Woolhandling Committee chair Dave Brooker said it meant everything that the events could go ahead.
"As everyone's aware under these times it's really hard to get anything organized so it's made even harder to actually get this off the ground but we went to the committee and we unanimously they're pretty clear that they wanted to run the event.
"It's been a little bit more work but you know, the entries are great and really just if you walk into the stadium now it's just a really great vibe.
Brooker said there were no woolhandling or shearing events in the North Island before Christmas so those that could travel to Christchurch had done so.
"It's a bit of a bummer that so many events have been cancelled, so we are pretty lucky here in the South Island"
Photo: RNZ / Sally Murphy
Usually, there would be 100,000 people over three days and he believed it would be a bit dull with no vibe but actually it was not too bad at all, he said.
Kelly Macdonald, from Cheviot, who took part in the woolhandling event today said there was a really high calibre of competitors at the show this year.
"The quality that's here today is been amazing right from the first heat you could see the benchmark was going to be quite high."
"This is our third show for the circuit and we just feel lucky we can compete with our friends in the North Island unable to do so.
Photo: RNZ / Sally Murphy
She said there was a real buzz amongst the competitors this year, "we do this as a job, but it's really interesting to watch others compete because we can all learn off each other".
Dog trials also took place at the show today - and a farmyard of animals was set up for school children to visit.
Show general manager Tracy Ahern said it was always the highlight of the show as it gave children who live in the city a chance to see animals up close and personal.
"This whole thing is being run by volunteers, we have one school group at a time come through and they can interact with the animals here like lambs, calves, pigs and goats."