The 150th show was an occasion for a reunion for past Showgirls, who gathered for the official opening and cutting of the 150th cake before travelling around the track in some classic and vintage cars to the official opening. A number had travelled back to Forbes for the weekend to be part of the celebrations. This year’s Young Woman is Peta Allen, and she was sashed at Friday night’s official opening. The 20-year-old said learning about the many facets of agriculture had been one of her favourite memories of the show as a student, and was a motivation for putting her hand up for the competition. Setting up the flower section, visiting the dairy sections and junior judging were just a few of the opportunities she had on the first day of the show as a Young Woman entrant. Through the competition, Peta is advocating for rural youth mental health, and encouraged others that "a problem shared is a problem halved". “It is okay not to be okay,” she said. “It should be encouraged to share how we feel in difficult times.” Peta thanked the PA and H Association and Young Woman competition organisers for a wonderful show and for their support. 2025 Forbes Show Young Woman Libby Coles spoke about her love of the show and the wonderful experiences she had at Sydney Royal Show as a state finalist. “The most amazing part of the week was the people that we met,” Libby said. Young Woman finalists were introduced to the Governor General, the Governor of NSW, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, “and a whole host of others who have inspired us and expanded our horizons on what is possible as a woman from a rural town”. They also had a behind-the-scenes look at the show and met the many people who keep it running. “Particularly in rural communities, volunteers are the backbone of many organisations,” Libby said. “The passion and commitment people show is second to none.” Libby encouraged anyone who has ever thought about volunteering and building the show into the future to speak with anyone on the committee about how they could get involved. And if you resonate with Peta's message about mental health and you do need someone to talk to, Lifeline is available around-the-clock by phoning 131114 or going online to www.lifeline.org.au/ to chat.
