DEVELOPING smart, strong, young rural women was the message being served up on fine china at the Standout Showgirl workshop.
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About a dozen girls converged on a Glen Innes property last weekend for a two-day workshop on how to excel at and enhance their Showgirl experience ahead of the country show season.
The host, Polish Works owner Adi Ritchie, insists Showgirl competitions are not beauty contestants, and more “about your brains, not your boobs”.
The workshop featured everything from learning how to juggle a cup of tea, while eating a sandwich and meeting someone for the first time, to current affairs, decorum and presentation.
The first half of the workshop was theory-based, where the participants – hailing from as far as Bangalow, Mullumbimby, Walcha, Warialda and Inverell – covered a myriad of things from conversation to politics, make-up to table manners and style to skincare.
The girls also benefited from a crash course in public speaking from Toastmasters.
“They might be shy to start, but by the end, they’re spectacular and I can’t shut them up,” Mrs Ritchie said.
“It went so well, the girls were so engaging.
“The girls all passed 100 per cent.”
The workshop centred around developing young women into strong rural leaders – and they learned from the best.
One of the two Standout Showgirl mentors was Mrs Australia International Leila Sweeney-McDougall, a Walcha farmer, teacher, charity director of Live Rural, ministerial advisor, fashion designer, mother and wife and agricultural advocate.
Joining her in steering young budding showgirls was Anne Starr, a former Showgirl, NSW Young Auctioneer, RAS Rural Achiever finalist, and the first female on the Australian Hereford Society Board of Directors.
Mrs Ritchie said having two prominent women with a rural outlook attend the workshop showed the participants what Showgirl competitions were all about.
“It gives them confidence and teaches them life-long skills,” she said.
“The young women deserve a gold star for putting themselves out there in a public forum to be judged.
“This is not a beauty contest – this is to promote smart, strong, young rural women.
“It all starts with us (in rural areas), so thank a farmer for your next meal.”
More than 500 young women a year enter a local show society contest.
