HAVING FUN: Tara Jasper, 12, Katherine Velthuis, 13, and Shanae Thomas, 13, all of Horsham, catch up at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days. Picture: SAMANTHA CAMARRI
THE 51st annual Wimmera Machinery Field Days wound up last night after three days at Longerenong.
Manager Murray Wilson said warmer weather and professional displays kept people at the field days longer than ever before.
"I was very surprised on Wednesday because there were still people doing business after 5pm," he said.
"People were able to recharge in our air-conditioned pavilions and stay all afternoon."
Mr Wilson said three days of warm weather helped draw crowds.
"Usually if it is too hot people don't come, but the beauty of a three-day event is that they can put it off and come another day," he said.
He said crowd numbers were strong each day, but the busiest day was not 'people day' on Wednesday.
"Opening day was our busiest this year," he said.
Mr Wilson said he thought it was highly successful.
"It is a big effort to organise and people come from all over Australia to see it," he said.
"We are very pleased with the result."
Mr Wilson said he had received lots of positive feedback from exhibitors.
He said a highlight of the event was the Victorian Farm Sculpture Competition. Overall winner was Ross Campbell from Nhill with his sculpture 'Heavy Duty'.
See the winning sculptures here
Other winners were Oliver Von Seht-Nater from Moyston, Tony, Joyce and Luke Balogh from Ararat, Alex Downard from Adelaide, Colin Robson from Warrenbayne and Gary Pilgrim from Haven.
A selection of committee members judged exhibitor awards.
"These awards are based on presentation of sites and staff," Mr Wilson said.
"We want to encourage all sites to be as best looking as they can be."
Machine of the Year winner was Dunstan Farmers Engineering for a chaser bin.
Innovation of the Year winner was Horsham Bearings for a pivot point tipper. Other winners included Neil's Parts, Sassi Hair and Beauty Bar, Tooteaz, Workco, Bayer Crop Science and Lewis M Carter Manufacturing Company. The committee and volunteers have started to clean up.