Community
20 March, 2025
Jack Russell show is coming to Noorat
THE Noorat Recreation Reserve has attracted a new event to its calendar which is sure to delight the region’s dog lovers.
The 2025 Jack Russell Terrier Club Show will see members descend on Noorat from 10am on Sunday, April 6 to participate in a range of classes showcasing the iconic traits of smaller breed dogs, from running to hunting and working.
The event has previously been held in Warrnambool, but this year will come to Noorat in a bid to make travel easier for club members.
Jack Russell Terrier Club of Australia president Mark Evans said finding a suitable location to minimise travel could prove a winning move for the club.
“We’re trying to get it a little more central,” he said.
“This makes it a little bit easier for people who would have to travel further away – it’s only around 45 minutes from Warrnambool, but it makes it that little bit easier for our southern members.”
Mr Evans said the change of location presented an exciting opportunity for the club, with the Noorat community having shown a warm welcome and enthusiasm for attracting a new event.
“In the past we’ve held the event in Smythsdale, so we’re accustomed to hosting events in smaller communities,” he said.
“As far as Noorat goes, the response we’ve had has been absolutely fantastic.
“They’ve been more than helpful.
“They’re even organising a barbecue through the school so we’ve got a bit of lunch for the day.
“Everyone at the recreation reserve committee have been really good.
“It’s great to be able to support a smaller community – we’re not a big club, with around 50-60 members, in a very relaxed and down-to-earth setting.”
The club show, held before its annual national show in September, aims to provide a relaxed atmosphere for the entrants in the 42 classes presented on the day.
“We usually have a couple hundred people come along on the day and anywhere from 70 to 90 dogs, maybe even more,” Mr Evans said.
“It’s got all our breed classes – all our members and their registered dogs can enter.
“The last couple of years we’ve been incorporating hunting stuff because Jack Russells were originally bred for hunting, so we’ve incorporated a hunting section for anyone who enjoys doing that.
“We’d also got hounds and running dogs as far as classes go.”
Mr Evans encouraged anyone interested to come down on the day and have a look.
“We’re love people to come and have a look – be it people interested in dogs or just wanting to come along on the day,” he said.
“We’re trying to get the word out to increase our membership so anyone wanting to come down and have a look would be more than welcome.
“Hopefully people come along and support it, and have a relaxed day.”
Noorat Recreation Reserve committee treasurer and caravan park caretaker Eric Hansford said it was exciting to be able to offer a new event in the village.
“They had a look at a few venues and Mark (Evans) decided Noorat was a good location,” he said.
“We’re quite happy to accommodate them.
“We’re always looking for decent activities – we don’t target things specifically but we’re happy to host events, from weddings to funeral wakes and birthday parties.
“We’ve got a good community centre which is popular for bigger events.”
Mr Hansford encouraged everyone to get down to the showgrounds on April 6 and support the event.
“I think it will be great for any dog lovers or animal lovers,” he said.
“Jack Russells are a lovely little dog and we can showcase the best of them from around Australia, so it will be quite interesting for someone who likes pets.”