TWENTY-Five year-old Ashleigh Hedgis will wear her Central Queensland Queensland Country Life Miss Showgirl representation with greater pride than expected at the Brisbane Ekka in August.
For Ms Hedgis, an accountant in waiting, the chance to celebrate her home community of Yeppoon and CQ on the biggest show stage in the state is an "enormous" privilege.
"But it's also going to be my first time to the Ekka," she said.
"When I was named Miss Showgirl for the region I was absolutely over the moon.
"I did not expect that at all. It was great. I am from Rolleston and grew up on the Central Highlands but I went to boarding school at St Ursula's in Yeppoon and mum and dad moved down when I was in Grade 11.
"I really wanted to get involved in the show and this was the perfect opportunity to get in behind the scenes. You know it is hard to get in and volunteer at certain places if you don't know anybody, so I thought I'd get in and have a go.
"I was so nervous but mum and dad said have a go and here I am.
"Going to Brisbane is something I am definitely looking forward to because I haven't been to the Ekka before, so it will be exciting and different."
Co-judge Hardy Manser said choosing Ms Hedges along with runner-up Shannyn Hopkins, CQ's Rural Ambassador Olivia Lindley and runner-up Claire Patterson was "incredibly difficult" and testimony to the demanding quality of the event.
"The quality of the entrants for the Rural Ambassador for 2019 echoed the effort in the Showgirl judging," Mr Manser said.
"They represented their show societies very beautifully and I really think each and every one of them represented themselves to the very best of their ability.
"We are a team in Queensland and especially here in central Queensland where we support each and these four women will represent CQ sensationally when they get to the Brisbane Ekka."
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
