Jenna Robinson wins Sydney AgShow Young Woman zone finals in Lismore

The traditional showgirl competition may have had a change but the quality of the entrants has remained high, as was proved in this year’s North Coast finals. See the gallery.

Bangalow finalist Neve Kelly, Maclean finalist Maneesha Davis and Coffs Harbour finalist Heather Orme answer questions during the NSW Young Woman 2022 regional competition in Lismore on Saturday.

Lismore resident Jenna Robinson’s dream of representing her region at the Sydney Royal Easter Show became a reality when she was crowned the North Coast’s young woman for 2022.

Formerly known as the The Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition, the prestigious rural award underwent a name change this year to reflect a change in society and also in the agricultural industries.

Nine finalists from the Mid North Coast and Far North Coast show societies gathered at the Lismore Workers Club on Saturday to be in the running to be named NSW Young Woman 2022 at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April.

Sydney AgShow Young Woman 2020 zone final Lismore Gallery

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They travelled from Gloucester, Coffs Harbour, Alstonville, Bangalow, Maclean, Casino, Kempsey, Lismore and Taree.

Ms Robinson said the win had been her dream for “so long”.

Tears of joy streamed down her face after her name was read out.

“This has been my dream for so long,” Ms Robinson said.

“To finally get here … I won Lismore showgirl in 2018, competed in the 2019 showgirl final but I didn’t win and I said I would come back bigger and better.

“The goal is Sydney, and I said that to my judges at the Lismore Show and they believed in me and I guess everyone has believed in me and now I’ve done it, I’m representing Lismore and I’m so excited.”

She said it would be amazing to have more opportunity to be the young woman ambassador she believed she had always been.

“This is a massive competition, it surprises many people, but I do think the new name Young Woman is just strong, it reflects that we are all strong young women, and being able to have that title is amazing,” she said.

The judges said it was a very hard decision as the nine entrants were all of “exceptional calibre”.

Winner for zone 2, Taree resident Gypsy-Lee Marshall, said she was “definitely feeling it”.

“I’m elated,” Ms Marshall said.

“I’m very bouncing off the walls at the moment.”

Ms Marshall said she had been to Sydney before but the competition she represented wasn’t as well known as the Young Woman competition.

“I’m really glad that I am able to put myself out there at a point where, it sounds very pretentious but it’s not supposed to, (laughs), everyone is going to be able to hear what I have to say and I am going to be able to give that kind of perspective into some people's eyes that they may not see from where they live,” she said.

Gypsy-Lee Marshall from Taree won the Zone 2 title of the Sydney AgShow Young Woman 2022 competition.

The annual event aim was started as the showgirl competition in 1962 to advance the cause of young rural women and to open up opportunities for them to become community and business leaders.

Entrants are judged on personality, confidence and goals, general knowledge and rural knowledge, presentation, and speech.

A Royal Agricultural Society of NSW spokesman said the competition would officially become The Sydney Royal Young Woman of the Year, a name that resonated better with young women and reflected the importance of the role.

“The name continues the link to the show movement however it also opens up the opportunity for young women to enter from many and varied occupations that have a link to rural, regional and remote NSW,” the spokesman said.