CUNNAMULLA is celebrating a "mind-blowing" turnaround, after show attendance nearly doubled to more than 2200 people at the weekend.
While many country shows are struggling to retain numbers, the impressive upturn took just six months to execute thanks to a new executive committee, which "breathed new life" into the association.
"We really wanted it to be a success and something that brought the community together to celebrate what the show is about," said Amy McKenzie, who was voted in as Cunnamulla Show Society secretary in November.
Joining her for the first time on the executive were president Shaun Fagan and Jessie Thompson as treasurer.
All are under the age of 35, classifying them as Queensland Shows 'Next Generation'.
Amy said they "didn't know what to expect" when coming on board, but continued to ask for guidance from experienced show members "to find their feet".
Their aim was to capitalise on entertainment options.
The Fred Brophy Boxing Tent, Noah's Thoroughbred Racing Pigs and Young Farmers Challenge all proved highly popular.
Young Farmers Challenge winners Polly Crawford, Dean Stanfield, Jake Bonsey and Laura Wilson celebrate their victory. Click image to view gallery.
The Motorbike Gymkhana saw 62 riders nominate, up from 25 the previous year, further bolstering the show's success.
Amy credits increased social media use for helping engage more attendees.
The Paroo Shire Council also sponsored free gate entry, as they had done last year.
Reflecting on the past six months, Amy said the youthful group have learnt a lot including the importance of organisation.
"The best bit was that we were organised so everything ran smoothly on the day," she said.
"There's always a learning curve, where we look at how we can do it better."
Their next objective is to increase active membership, to assist the 20 or so people on the organising committee.
"We've had a really successful show and have had some really great feedback so need to have some brainstorming to explore what avenues we should go down," Amy said.
"Everyone is busy running the own lives, so we need to make [show involvement] a bit of fun and not a chore."
Amy wished to thank the enthusiastic volunteers and supporters.
Major sponsors of the 61st Cunnamulla Show included Schmidt Contracting, the Club Boutique hotel, Western Exporters, the Queensland Government and Paroo Shire Council.
