Rydal showgirl coordinator Margie Lowe hosted a showgirl high tea for young girls involved in the Rydal Show on Saturday, August 31.
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Guests to the event included 2011 Rydal Showgirl Rachel Nicoll, 2017 Royal Easter Show's The Land Showgirl Competition second runner-up Isabel Hawken, and 2019 Lithgow Showgirl Ciara Bastow.
The guest speaker at the event was second runner-up in the 2019 Land Royal Easter showgirl competition and Forbes showgirl Sally Downie.
Before the high tea started the girls were taken on the now-famous 'Showgirl Walk', a pathway that has the names of past Rydal showgirl representatives.
Former showgirl coordinator Kay Martin OAM also had the opportunity to see the new Showgirl Pavilion sign unveiled for the first time.
With a beautiful afternoon tea served to the girls, they got the chance to mingle and talk about their passions.
Ms Downie spoke to the girls about her work as the founder of Grassroots Blueprint, an organisation she hopes will connect farmers and tell their story to the wider community.
"I never had any plans to be a showgirl but after I joined I realised it wasn't a competition, it was a chance for personal development," she said.
Never think you don't have what it takes to be a showgirl.
- Sally Downie
"I used my platform as a way to share what I was seeing, and you can too, if you are passionate about something you can make your voice heard."
Ms Downie said the most daunting part of the whole experience has been actually speaking her mind rather then staying quiet and keeping to herself.
"But in saying that, this experience gives you the skills to be able to speak in front of people," she said.
"So my advice would be to find your voice, and speak about how you're feeling and what you are passionate about."
Ms Lowe said that many people see one side of showgirl and not the hard work that goes into it.
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