Showgirl competition underway ahead of the 2022 Narrabri Show

Judging has started for this year’s Narrabri Showgirl competition with interviews being held at the weekend.

Two Senior Showgirls and three Junior Showgirls were interviewed by a panel of judges at the Tourist Hotel on Sunday morning.

The judging panel consists of Narrabri Show Society life member Wendy McNair, community member Darrell Tiemens and former Wee Waa Showgirl Georgie Haire.

The two senior entrants are Narrabri High School teacher Samantha Coppin and Whiddon Robert Young employee Phoebe Schwager.

In the junior section, Denae Seymour, Grace Hardy and Jessie Simpson were interviewed ahead of this weekend’s Narrabri Show.

The five entrants will make their public debut at this Wednesday’s night cocktail evening before the winners are announced at the official opening of the Narrabri Show on Friday evening.

Junior entrant Denae Seymour, a Year 11 Narrabri High School student, has had her sights set on entering the Showgirl competition from a young age.

Denae is the daughter of Kim Mason.

“Since I was little I’ve always wanted to go into the competition,” she said.

“I want to be an ambassador for girls to step up and know that they can do things.”

Following high school, Denae hopes to go to university to study criminology and would like to return to Narrabri to join the police force.

Fellow competitor and Year 11 student Grace Hardy hopes the Showgirl experience will enable her to get out of her comfort zone. She is the daughter of John and Tina Hardy.

“I’m looking forward to becoming more involved in the community,” she said.

Jessie Simpson, a Year 8 student at NEGS Armidale, sees the competition as another way of supporting the show.

The daughter of Jason and Mandy Simpson, Jessie hopes to learn more about Narrabri by taking part in the Showgirl competition.

“I’ve just about done everything else at the Narrabri Show,” she said.

In the senior competition, Samantha Coppin was encouraged to participate by last year’s Showgirl, Gemma Ferguson.

“The whole process has allowed me to get to know more about the community,” Ms Coppin said.

Ms Coppin said she hoped her participation as a Showgirl encouraged students to be part of the competition.

Fellow Senior Showgirl entrant Phoebe Schwager previously entered the Junior Showgirl competition at the Wee Waa Show and was encouraged to take part in the Narrabri Show by her aunty, Fiona Orman.

“I thought it was time to brave COVID and step out in the community,” Ms Schwager said.

“I hope to become more involved in the community.”