After a whirlwind year as the 2016 Sapphire City Festival queen, Gaby Watkins had a hard time believing that lightning could strike twice when she was named the 2018 Inverell Showgirl winner on Friday night.
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“I definitely wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
“They warned me that if you win you have to say a speech, but I was pretty much speechless.”
She said her royal win two years ago inspired her to enter the showgirl competition, and she was looking forward to being an agricultural ambassador for the town.
The title gave Gaby the honour of cutting a cake celebrating 150 years of the local event.
Laura King was far from disappointed with her runner-up title, and said she was “over the moon, dumbfounded, really”. She said it was amazing to receive the green sash.
“I’ll never forget it. It will be a moment that will always be in my memory.”
Laura was in awe of her fellow competitors, Kirsty McCormack, Briony Davidson, Grace Kennedy, Samaria Kennedy and Sally Williams.
She said she entered the showgirl competition to give her son a positive role model.
“It shows you that you can do anything. It doesn’t matter where you live, who you are; you can always do something,” Laura said.
Best friends Maddy Dunbar and Emily Carr had a blast entering the teen showgirl competition together. Although Emily took the top title in the end, with Maddy named runner-up, both girls said they expected each other to win.
“It was less stressful having Maddy with me,” Emily said. Trembling with nerves on the truck-stage as they awaited the announcement, the Macintyre High School pair reminded each other to breathe.
“My legs were shaking. I was freaking out. I was like, ‘Emily, we’re up next!’” Maddy said.
Nevaeh Trevithick was the winner of the junior competition, while Amelia Hilcke was named runner up. In the sub-junior section, Riley Payne Fargo was given the winner’s sash and Matilda Robinson was runner up. Carly Davis started her showgirl career in style as the tiny tot winner, followed by runner-up Nikeyta Owen.
Organiser Jean Muggleton was having such a good time discussing the wonders of glow-in-the-dark necklaces with the tiny tots, that she almost missed her own honour – a lifetime membership in the Inverell Show Society.
“That was a bit of a shock,” she admitted.
“It’s an honour, but it’s not something that I go and look for. I just do things to help the community.”
Jean first joined the committee 21 years ago. Stan Tonkins, who was chief steward in the pavilion when she began, gave her the prestigious badge.
“He and I started out together in the pavilion and I only came for a couple of years to fill in, and 21 years later, I’m still here!” she said.