IF YOUR idea of the perfect day involves metal, four wheels and a tray out back then get yourself to the Beaut Ute section at this year’s Beaudesert Show.
Kate Harrison is looking forward to seeing what the owners of hotted up utes will bring to the popular event.
Ms Harrison has run this section for the past 10 years and said her father was show society president and she enjoyed being a part of it.
“My older brother introduced the category to the show probably a good five years before I became involved in it,” she said.
“I took it over when he moved away from Beaudesert.”
She said last year’s show was very quiet and they had to cancel the ring events they’d usually put on to show-off the cars.
“Typically, we get everyone to turn up and they get judged while they display their utes down in one of the back rings,” she said.
“Then at five o’clock we go up to the main ring and they get an opportunity to go around it before a crowd.”
Ms Harrison said crowd support was how they determined who won.
“When they drive around the ring, the spectators cheer and support them and there is a burn-out area where they can have turns doing burn-outs,” she said.
“The winners of each category go to the front of the ring and it is by crowd support that the overall winner of the Beaut Ute and runner up is selected.”
She said last year’s wet weather cut the event short as drivers were unable to take their ute into the ring.
“I think we only had, from memory, maybe 15 utes,” she said.
“It was quite a quiet show but we are hoping this year the weather behaves and we get a nice array of utes this time.”The show typically attracts between 30 to 40 utes and their drivers each year and this year organisers are hoping for that and then some.
She said utes entered made for fun viewing as all have BnS flags, stickers, loud horns and stereos ... basically all the right attitude for a totally Aussie ute.
“There are six categories that are eligible for the Queensland Shows Awards and the winner from each will go on to compete at the Ekka,” she said.
“Those categories are Street Ute, BnS Ute, 4x4 Ute, Classic Ute, Work Ute and Chick’s Ute.”
If you have an epic ute and want to see how far it’d take you in the competition, grab an entry form from the show office and enter on the day.
“Entries close at 1.30pm on Saturday and judging starts at 2pm, so you can literally just rock up with your entry form and be added to the list,” she said.
While last minute entries are allowed, she said most people taking part were ‘bright and early’.
“We’ve found most people get in early so they have a good position and time to give their cars a buff, polish and get them pristine for showing off.”