Anyone interested in representing her town in the competition is encouraged to contact secretary Heather Bush as soon as possible to register her interest. 

The Showgirl competition is open to all girls aged between 18 and 25 years as at May 1, 2015 with with just four weekends until the Cootamundra Show and less than three weekends until the Showgirl Dinner (Friday, October 10) now is the time to enter. 

Reigning Showgirl Ellie Morton couldn’t encourage girls more to be involved saying it was an amazing experience for her and one she will remember for a lifetime.

Ellie’s Showgirl experience began with a meeting for interested girls including 2013 Showgirl Lucy Pigram on hand to share her experience. 

With older sister Hannah having been a Showgirl, Ellie had already been exposed to the concept and was keen to do her bit to be part of the Coota Show - a much-loved institution in town. 

Once she had committed she, and the other five Showgirl contestants, each participated in an interview where they were asked about everything from their involvement in the community to issues relating to their town to state and federal politics, all with a focus on agriculture. 

It is on these answers the girls are judged - the Showgirl competition is not a beauty competition, it is all about substance of the girls. 

Following their interviews, the girls participated in the Showgirl Dinner, which is an opportunity for the girls to liaise with members of Show Society and further impress the judges.

They are asked three questions which they have been briefed on prior to the dinner so have time to prepare their answers. 

Not big on public speaking before her Showgirl experience and still apprehensive when it comes to addressing a crowd, Ellie said the dinner and associated experiences helped her to improve her public speaking skills and make her more comfortable in front of a crowd. 

When Show day arrived last year, the girls were everywhere! They were kept busy all day sashing winning sheep and cattle as well as wool and produce exhibits in the pavilions. The girls, in their Showgirl entrant sashes, posed for photos and were part of all aspects of the show - a terrific experience for them as they got to be involved in sections they may not otherwise have taken an interest in. 

When it came time for the big announcement, just who would be the 2013 Showgirl, each of the girls lined up on the stage in front of a strong crowd of interested onlookers. Ellie was still convinced she was there making up the numbers and when Tegan Everett was announced runner-up Ellie turned to her good friend and fellow contestant Anna Ingold, whispering “You’ve got this”. 

Nothing could have shocked the then 21-year-old more than hearing her name announced the winner. She recovered admirably and spoke beautifully thanking all involved in the show, in particular Heather and Geoff Bush for their committment to the girls in the Showgirl competition. 

As Showgirl, Ellie was given the opportunity to attend a weekend-long etiquette school in Dubbo under the program of famed etiquette instructor June Dally-Watkins. 

An experience she would never have jumped into without the backing of the Showgirl competition, Ellie had a great time. 

She made some terrific friends that weekend she still keeps in contact with today. 

Her Showgirl journey continued when she went to Griffith for the zone judging. There the girls were asked about everything from their local area, to the carbon tax to who represents different regions in parliament. 

“Overall it was a really great experience,” Ellie said. 

“I got to meet a lot of young girls similar to me who I’m still friends with,” she added. 

The Showgirl competition has a focus on promoting what women in rural and regional areas can do, particularly in relation to agriculture and Ellie said it was eye-opening and inspiring to hear some of the stories about what women are doing all over the country. 

“It’s definitely been a lot of fun and I’d encourage anyone interested to just give it a go,” she said. 

If you think you’d like to be the next Cootamundra Showgirl contact Heather on 0428 423 221, like the Cootamundra Show page on Facebook or Ellie is happy to take enquiries about her year as Showgirl.

Show guides 

THIS year’s 124th annual Cootamundra Show will take place from Friday, October 17 until Sunday, October 19 with the main show day being the Saturday. 

The schedule of competitions, prizes, prizemoney and entry forms are all available in the 2014 Show Guide.

Once again there will be plenty to see and do with yard dog trials, beef, sheep, poultry and wool judging plus jams and preserves, floral art, knitting and crochet to name a few of the competitions on the day. 

Don’t just visit the show this year, take part. Show Guides are available from the Cootamundra Herald office.