Being crowned Miss Royal Easter Showgirl may sound like a huge feather in the cap, but Jan Carter insists she was never one for fancy headdresses.
The 80-year-old Moruya resident and NSW Royal Agricultural Society member is the show's oldest surviving showgirl, being just the second to earn the title back in 1963.
A rare opportunity
Jan - who lived in Goulburn at the time - said she had done a bit of modelling around town, and was approached by a local business house to run as their candidate for the title.
She went on to the local competition, before moving onto the zone competition, and then on to Sydney, where she ultimately took out the title.
A demure affair
While the title - which has since been changed - may sound glamorous, Jan said it was more of a gloves and hats type affair than sequins and headdresses.
"It was very demure, I suppose you'd say, as far as the dress and proceedings were concerned," she said.
"It was all very much a gloves and hat turnout, there was no swimsuit parade, or anything like that."
Jan said while good looks may have been part of what judges were looking for, they were equally interested in finding young women who were "landed".
Contestants were "put through the hoops" with questions about their local area, and why the land was important to them.
Show business
After winning the title, she was flown all over NSW, attending various agricultural shows to help judge competitions and present awards. One woodchopper was so exuberant he picked her up and lifted her over his head in celebration.
She said her experiences, both with the other girls contesting the title, and the people at the shows she visited were overwhelmingly positive.
"Everyone was lovely, and I won a magnificent prize - a trip around the world for two from Qantas - I took my mother," she said. She also won a cash prize of 10,000 pounds for her trouble.
Then and now
Jan said the Royal Easter Show hadn't changed much over the past 60 years, with the biggest change being its relocation from Moore Park to its current home at Sydney Olympic Park.
"It has definitely been modernised, but the essence of the show is very much the same," she said.
One change she is happy about is the name change of the title - with winners now referred to as Young Woman rather than Showgirl.
"I think it has been a great thing, simply because of the connotations of the word showgirl," she said.
"My husband will say this is the oldest surviving showgirl and people will expect to see feathers in my hair."
While the title may have changed, Jan said based on modern contestants she has met, the character of the young ladies remains largely the same.
"It is still the same type of girl - the rural girl who is interested in agriculture or animal welfare.
"Girls that represent their areas, and they are usually pretty intelligent girls too, from some of the interviews I've watched."
Landed
Born in Newcastle, Jan was not raised on a farm. Her love of the land evolved through her childhood love of animals.
Her father bought her her first pony - a Snowy River brumby, at the age of eight. She went on to own six or seven horses throughout her childhood and teen years, becoming a very skilled rider and representative polocrosse player.
As an adult she developed a passion for breeding thoroughbreds, regular-breds and show horses.
She and her daughter reared a prize winning mare - Lady's Gift - who went on to win the led exhibit category at the 2010 show, as well as supreme champ in the Australian National Saddlehorse Association's 2010 led exhibit.
Jan said there are many things she loves about horses, from their deep, beautiful eyes, to the exhilaration of riding, and most of all, the trust a person can build with them.
"It's a bond you build with a horse. Once you do that and gain trust, it's a wonderful thing," she said.
Jan's family all share her love of horses. Her husband Denham is a bookmaker, while her four children are all gifted riders.
Daughters Pamela, Victoria and Tiffany have all competed in horse riding and horse breeding competitions at the show, while her son Peter used to ride track work for a local trainer. Pamela still competes in dressage, while Victoria is still breeding and showing stock horses.
While she no longer shows at the Easter Show and recently stepped down from roles at the Moruya Show and Moruya Jockey Club, Jan still breeds and shows horses locally, and remains actively involved in running the family property.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is on from March 22-April 2, 2024. For tickets and information, click here.
