BACK after the two-year enforced absence due to Covid-19 and blessed with good weather, Bannow and Rathangan attracted bumper crowds.

One growing trend is the number of late entries, with shows often pleading on social media for exhibitors to enter on time. Even at Bannow and Rathangan, one of the country’s leading shows, entries were taken on the day. “We had to,” stated Liz Freeman, another of the dynamo secretaries who had to resort to this retrograde measure.

Not only does this mean a weaker paper trail, including accurate results, and a poorer catalogue, another factor is the extra work for voluntary committee members.

Settling back into the seemingly thankless task of being a show secretary has been trying for even the stalwarts, after two summers off from non-stop ringing phones and 101 items on the To-Do list.

Two years off was an opportunity for shows to redesign. However, unless exhibitors play their part by entering on time, it’s backwards not forwards on the paperwork front. And it’s adding to the burnout factor felt by even the most dedicated secretaries.