Wānaka’s annual A&P show is one of NZ’s premier agricultural and pastoral events and a seasonal highlight for many. We chat with local Fe Howie about the 89th Wānaka A&P Show and her long involvement with the show through the years.

Come show time, Wānaka Showgrounds and Pembroke Park are the place to be. Around 40,000 people will converge there this March for one of the South Island’s most popular A&P shows.

‘It’s a huge social occasion,’ says Fe Howie, who manages the show’s livestock competitions and was first persuaded to join its equestrian committee some 35 years ago. ‘We like to make it a nice experience for everyone competing and it’s a super-friendly atmosphere. The location of the show is unique, with the lake and mountains providing a stunning picturesque background. This undoubtedly contributes to the appeal and attraction of the show and, at this time of year, the weather is generally pretty settled too. Many come not just to compete but to have a short holiday, with so much to enjoy here.’

A passion for equestrian sport ultimately led to Fe’s involvement with the show. She grew up on Castlepoint Station in the Wairarapa, learning to be a no-nonsense country rider. In her younger years, she spent many seasons working as a polo groom in both Australia and the US before meeting her husband Ross in 1986, (who sadly passed away last year). After settling in Wānaka, she became involved with the Hāwea Wānaka Pony Club. It was a short step from there to the Wānaka A&P Show’s equestrian committee.

By 1998, her friend Jane Stalker had followed Fe onto the committee as its secretary. ‘All these years later, we’re both still helping run the show and Jane is our general manager!’ Both have seen the show’s popularity continue to grow, with a particularly big jump in entries in 2008 when it hosted a Royal Event.

By 2012, when Prime Minister John Key attended to mark the show’s 75th year, Fe was serving as show president. She recalls trying to subtly steer the PM over to the ring so she could catch her daughter Cate compete. ‘She came flying around, reins in hand, and yelled out ‘Hello Mr Key!’ It was a classic moment – he just loved it. Cate’s part of the show now too and runs the Hunter Jumping.’

Wrangling 500 livestock classes is a lot of work for Fe, who relies on a small army of community volunteers to bring it all together. Every little task has a name on it, from judges to stewards and rail picker uppers. While the lead-up to the show is full-on, she says the reward is seeing everything running on time and lots of happy faces. On show days, she’s easy to spot in her striped shirt with the collar up, old golf cart in tow, with an emergency response kit of show essentials from spare ribbons to wire cutters.

Fe loves the show’s vibrancy with so much going on, from wood chopping and sheep shearing to live cooking demos, dog trials, displays of rural innovation, extensive agricultural trade exhibits and the Ferris Wheel turning above the hot dog and candy floss stands.

Whether it’s competition for equestrian honours or finest fleece – or first across the line in the popular Jack Russell Race – Fe says everyone enjoys taking part and being there on the day. ‘You see people chatting away, having a good time, and that’s what it’s all about.’

The Wānaka A&P Show will be held 13-14 March 2026; make sure you keep an eye out for the L&L team as we collaborate with the committee to bring you The Local Larder: a feast for the senses, celebrating artisan food and drink producers from across the region.