Sydney Royal Easter Show: Woodchoppers prepare for a showdown

Two glazed doughnuts with a fried chicken breast wedged between has just one of the Easter Saturday highlights from the Royal Easter Show. Check out the best of the action.

For most of us Sydneysiders the Sydney Royal Easter Show is about food, rides and show bags for the kids – but for these axe wielding athletes the show is more like the Olympics.

Madeleine Kirwan Edwards is a woodchopping and sawing powerhouse, but in her day job she couldn’t be further from the axe.

“I’m a kindergarten teacher and my kids definitely know about my woodchopping … they even designed my socks for the competition, this day it’s fireworks and fairy floss,” she said.

She said for woodchoppers, the Easter Show is like Wimbledon – everyone wants to be here.

“It‘s like an adrenaline that you just don’t get anywhere else. It’s hard. It’s technical. It’s all of those things. And when you do well, it’s one of the best feelings to just know you’ve done something that you’ve worked really hard to do.”

Royal Easter Show Jill and Jill wood chop competitors Madeleine Kirwan Edwards and Anne Paterson. Picture: Jane Dempster

Ava Rose Lakeman enjoying getting her face painted at the Royal Easter Show. Picture: .Jane Dempster/The Sunday Telegraph.

It’s not just the high octane sports keeping punters coming back year after year, with the agricultural competitions the lifeblood of the show.

Nowra High School student Marlee Harvey, 13, grew up on a dairy farm and knows the importance of educating people on where their food comes from.

Nowra High School agricultural students Nate Dansey (13), Dustin Cochrane (13) and Marlee Harvey (13) with Mick Taylor the steer. Jane Dempster/The Sunday Telegraph.

Friends (L-R) Milla Rose Nugroho (9) and Scarlett Beckett-Villanueva (8) enjoying the pink hotdog at the Royal Easter Show. Jane Dempster/The Sunday Telegraph.

But she still has a soft spot for the steers she exhibits.

“I just love hanging out with the cows, we go to sleep with them and cuddle up with them when they lay down,” she said.

Across from the cattle pavilion is the triumphant return of pigs after a Japanese encephalitis outbreak saw the animals banned last year.

Dubbo pig stud farmer Kristen Barrass has been competing for five years, and this year the competition is stiffer than ever.

Kristen Barrass with her pig at the Royal Easter Show pig washing .Picture: Jane Dempster

Pig petting fans Dorothy (7) and Carolyn Wang (5). Picture: Jane Dempster.

Alannah (9) and Leo (6) Stafford with their show bags. Jane Dempster/The Sunday Telegraph.

“It was decided we couldn’t come to the show last year … so it feels amazing to be back,” she said.

For seven-year-old Dorothy Wang it was her first time ever seeing a pig in real life, and she couldn’t resist having a cuddle.

“Her dream is to be a vet, so seeing all these animals is so exciting for her,” dad Alex said.

EASTER SHOW FOOD TO TRY – AND AVOID

This reporter was given the arduous task of trying some of the most viral foods at the Royal Sydney Easter Show – and I have some thoughts.

The gummy bear loaded fries at Neon Alley are by far the most viral food offering at the show, featuring warm gummy bears and sprinkles on top of salty fries.

Lets all be honest – this doesn’t taste good at all. These are two foods that just shouldn’t go together, ever. 2/10 from me.

The Krispy Kreme fried chicken burger, otherwise known as The Elvis. Picture: Jonathan Ng

A welcome surprise however was the Elvis burger, featuring two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts with a slab of fried chicken in the middle.

I was sceptical.

I’m happy to say however that the Elvis burger was surprisingly tasty, the doughnut and fried chicken combo really works if you are after a naughty Easter Show treat. 8/10.