The Maitland Young Woman Competition could be held in May each year

The Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association is considering changing the timeline for the Maitland Young Woman Competition, which was formerly the long-standing Maitland Showgirl quest.

It has been run around the show in February each year for a very long time, but it is now being proposed to hold the competition in May and have the winner help to promote the show the following year.

"I think the timing of it in May is better," Maitland Showground manager Brett Gleeson said.

"When you do it the week before the show it is very rushed. Doing it in May gives the winner preparation time in the role before the show comes around. Otherwise you enter just before the show, you are judged and announced at the show's opening ceremony, and then you only have 1.5 days left of the show."

The move comes after COVID-19 put a spanner in this year's contest - the inaugural Maitland Young Woman competition - and it could not be held.

It was rescheduled to May to coincide with a celebratory dinner to mark the 160^th anniversary of Maitland Show.

Mr Gleeson said holding the competition in May would also help to attract a broader range of entrants - including those who competed in the show.

"We sometimes don't get women who are involved with showing or riding horses or cattle showing or judging because they are involved in the show and it's hard to compete in that and also to be competing in the young woman contest as well," he said.

"If it is held outside of the show it would allow other young women to be involved in it - young women that otherwise wouldn't have been and that's a good thing."

Mr Gleeson said this year's Maitland Young Woman 2022 Jaslyn Walters would participate in community events in the lead up to the 2023 show. He said runner-up Tatjana Reid and the other entrants would be invited to take part in the 2023 show.

"It's a good opportunity to open the entries around the time of the show and then do the judging in May. It allows us to promote the competition and also to promote the girls - and they become a walking promotion of the competition. There's quite a few positives there," he said.

"Having Jaslyn out there now as a young female ambassador leading up to the show will be better for her and better for the association as well."

Mr Gleeson said the board would discuss the move at an upcoming meeting.

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