Forbes' year in review - 2019 | Photos

Waking in France, school in Belgium: Forbes local, Jess Ashcroft took on the world when she travelled to Europe for a year as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange.

Sam Johnston named RAS Rural Achiever: Sam Johnston was recognised for his hard work with the 'Thank a Farmer For Your Next Meal' social media campaign. He was named a Royal Agricultural Society of NSW 2019 Rural Achiever for promoting Australian agriculture and it's farmers since 2014.

Gliders take to the sky: More than fifty hang gliders were in town for the annual Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships. Fifty-two pilots took to the sky for the championships, which were won by Jonny Durand in the Open class and Bin Duan in the Sports class.

Riding to success: Olivia Holland travelled to the town of Murwillumbah to represent Eugowra Pony Club at the annual Pony Club Association NSW Showriding and Dressage Competition. The event attracted 140 competitors from NSW and 18 from QLD.

Hammond and Hall take charge: The Forbes Platypi made the move to appoint duo Jack Hammond and Jarrod Hall as mentors for the first grade squad. Premiership-winning skipper Hall took charge of the Platypi's backs while the powerhouse vice-captain, Hall, coached the forwards.

JRV complete: The extension and refurbishment of Jemalong Residential Village was was announced as complete, with residents moving from the Mater to their new home.

Angel's on a roll: Pacer Rocknroll Angel was the toast of Forbes after recording two wins in two weeks at Menangle in Sydney. The mare was trained in Sydney after having done her early racing under the care of part-owner Forbes' Adam Bellach.

A hundred years of Bedgerabong Races: The Bedgerabong Picnic Race Club marked a significant milestone in February of 2019, with 100 years of race meetings in Bedgerabong. The main event, the Wallace Bulk Haulage and Western Tree Care Bedgerabong Centenrary Picnic Cup (1400 metres) was won by John Wilson aboard the Justin W. Stanley trained Wollartant.

Platypi in Bulls' New Zealand Tour: Four of the Forbes Platypi were among 35 men and 25 women from the Central West who travelled to New Zealand as part of the tour. Mahe Fangupo, Charlie French and Jarrod Hall were part of the Blue Bulls squad, with Tom Macleay who joined as an assistant manager following a knee injury.

Forbes Lions celebrate tenth birthday: The Forbes and District Lions celebrated its tenth year since recharter. They raise funds and support for the local and broader community projects.

Flannery's receives top honours: Flannery's Pharmacy were named Guild Pharmacy of the Year at the industry's national conference on the Gold Coast. The ultimate winner was chosen from four category winners, the others from Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

Cracker of a night at rodeo: Slightly wet weather did little to dampen the mood at the annual Forbes Rodeo. Approximately 2000 went down to the Forbes Showground to watch the thrills and spills of the annual event which attracted more than 430 nominations.

Our auctioneers bound for Sydney: Local auctioneers Cooper Byrnes, Jake LeBrocque and Sam Smith went to the Sydney Royal for the NSW Young Auctioneers competition. While there, they went head-to-head against each other and seven other young auctioneers from around the state in the annual competition.

Forbes Veterans' Week of Golf: More than 130 veteran travelled to Forbes from around the state as well as from Queensland and New Zealand to take part in the Forbes Veterans' Week of Golf. The highly successful tounament saw members of 31 different clubs represented.

Good Friday Camel Races: The Forbes Race Course was packed with 6000 race-goers cheering on their favourite camel at the annual Good Friday Camel Races. Anesbury Racing's Hookemup claimed his fifth Camel Cup when he outpaced the other contenders in the feature race.

Thousands turn out to pay tribute on Anzac Day: Thousands of residents and visitors turned out to pay tribute at local services, with hundreds marching for Anzac Day.

Kids put science to the test: Some of Forbes' smallest scientists answered some big questions at the first Forbes Science Discovery Day for under fives. The day was organised to highlight the importance of science and to inspire learning in children of all ages.

Nell's Pantry for Farmers opens: Last May saw the official opening of Nell's Pantry for Farmers. The pantry is staffed for volunteers and aims to support farmers doing it tough due to the continuing drought conditions.

Flatlands ride continues to grow: The Forbes Flatlands Cyclo Sportif continued to grow with 67 cyclists descending on town for the annual event. The cycling enthusiasts competed across two distance events - a 120km ride or a 72km ride.

Podium finish for local riders: Nearly 90 riders took to the Daroobalgie track for a big day of motocross. The Forbes Autosports Club hosted riders from around the region for the Mothers Day meeting.

Magpies celebrate century of league: Great plays were re-lived and losses analysed when the Forbes Magpies hosted a reunion celebrating 100 years of rugby league in Forbes. Along with special guests Paul Sironen and Willie Mason, members of premiership winning teams got back together, including the first grade side of 1987, the winning juniors of 1992 and 1999.

Blues' country glory: Three locals, Charlie French, Tom Mcleay and Mahe Fangupo represented the Central West in the Blue Bulls squad when they took out the Caldwell Cup.

Return of the Golden Plough: Eugowra Stepped back in time last June for the return of the Golden Plough Competition. After an 11-year break, the competition made a return at the Eugowra Showgrounds.

Frost and Fire ignites winter night: Thousands gathered at the ski dam on the chilly night for the inaugural Frost and Fire event.

International debut for Victoria: Red Bend Catholic College student Victoria Simpson returned from Thailand, where she represented Australia at the 2019 Women's Under 25s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships.

Lake fishing becomes more accessible: Fishing on Lake Forbes became more accessible with the installation of the fishing pontoon.

Huge game day: Forbes hosted more than 600 avid soccer players for the annual Forbes and District Soccer Soccer Club Gala day The annual gala day attracted 72 teams from around the region, with players travelling from as far as Griffith.

State titles for local riders: Local motorbike riders Hugh Hope-Hodgetts and Beau Bailey claimed their first state titles at the 2019 NSW Junior Dirt Track Championships.

Top drops awarded at Wine Show: Wine connoisseurs from around the state travelled to Forbes for the annual NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show. Judges awarded 41 wines in a variety of classes with gold medals, after considering 620 wines.

Read all about it: Hundreds dressed up as their favourite story characters for the annual Reading Down Town Day. Activities were spread through Victoria Park, Town Hall and Forbes Library with reading, dancing, music and more.

Ellison makes a master shot: Thirteen-year-old Joe Ellison took out the NSW Junior Masters championships and high gun title in competition against clay target shooters from all over the country.

Track stars return: Local motorcycle track stars Tom and Sam Drane showed off their skills in America, holding their own in the AMA Flat Track Grand Nationals.

Construction begins: The first stages of work to build a service centre which includes a KFC and Caltex Foodery began this month with the official sod-turning ceremony.

Magpies swoop into grand final: Forbes Magpies Under 18s and league tag sides contested Dubbo CYMS at Dubbo in the Group 11 grand finals.

Juniors take home premiership: The Forbes Magpies Under 18s won the 2019 Group 11 Grand Final in a nail-biting game with a full time score of 24 - 22.

Grazing lure 900: Almost a thousand people enjoyed a lunch on the Lachlan River at Grazing Down the Lachlan, despite dust, gusty winds and even rain.

Eugowra hosts great day out: An excellent crowd flocked to the Eugowra Showground Paceway for the family day out at Eugowra Harness Racing's Canola Cup. Punters were treated to an outstanding day's racing, with a dead heat in the $30,000 feature race and track records broken in two other races.

Restoration 'outstanding': Forbes Jockey Club were presented with NSW country racing's Most Outstanding Achievement Award for the restoration of its historic grandstand.

Motor Show roars into town: The annual Forbes Motor Show celebrated it's tenth birthday this year. Motor enthusiasts had a wide range of motor vehicles to see with approximately 200 entries.

Locals go fishing for a day: Dozens of anglers put a line in at Lake Forbes on Sunday morning as part of National Gone Fishing Day. The Lachlan Valley Fishing Club hosted the carpathon locally, encouraging people to be part of it.

2019 Grinsted Cup begins: Players and fans gathered at Parkes' Woodward Oval to cheer on Forbes and Parkes in the first match of the Grinsted Cup.

Scarecrow competition highlights open day: More than 200 people visited the Forbes Riverside Community Gardens for the open day and looked at the variety of the diverse and creative scarecrows. The winners of this year's best vegetable patches were also announced.

Forbes takes a stand: Hundreds of young people marched down Forbes' main street to share the message that we all have a part to play to end domestic violence.

Dancers take to the stage: Five talented local dancers travelled to Sydney to compete in the Physical Culture Junior National Finals.

Iconic building to become arts and culture centre: The former Forbes Ambulance Station is set to become a cultural centre incorporating an art gallery. The Arts Society's vision for the prominent corner block in the centre of town incorporates an expanded art gallery, meeting rooms, performance and workshop spaces

Forbes aglow for Carols by Candlelight: Hundreds of people gathered in Victoria Park on Saturday night for a very special Carols by Candlelight. The evening marked 50 years of the local festive event.

UK success story: Six Red Bend Catholic College students joined the NSW Country Rugby squads on a dominant tour of the United Kingdom. Kyle Mawhinney, Finnley Neilsen and Matt Noakes joined the 16s squad while Jack Hartwig, Campbell Woolnough and Ben Lovett joined the 18s.

Forbes dances to bust the dust: Dance tunes and laughter rang out from our schools on Friday afternoon as local students joined Bust the Dust - the small school idea that became a national event.