In fact, some long-time exhibitors labelled it a record for the Wednesday which was fuelled by an optimistic outlook for livestock markets and a genuine interest in entertaining exhibits. 

However, it wasn’t just the new machines that drew crowds.

The vintage machinery display known for its working exhibits and noisy background was one of the most popular sites. 

Stephen Nesbitt of Gerogery said the vintage site always attracted enthusiasm. 

Ross Harmer of West Wyalong makes historic DVDs and used Henty as a backdrop to launch The Headlie Taylor Story.

“I have never seen crowds like this at Henty before,” he said. “And we had a big day yesterday too,” he said. 

Kylie King of Supercars Media said there was a genuine interest in rural history and the story of Headlie Taylor certainly met that criteria. 

“People in this region have a real sense of ownership about the Headlie Taylor story,” she said. 

“This new DVD is one of more than 20 historical videos and it is great to see that Ross has been able to unearth previously unseen footage in a new and interesting way,” she said. Following in the footsteps of much of Headlie Taylor’s work is the popular innovation award, formerly known as the farm inventors, which attracts interest at Henty each year. 

Barooga farmer Barry Bennett is a long-time entrant and has been known for taking multiple inventions to field days and trade fairs for scrutiny. 

This year he won the Henty innovation award for his “strap locking” unit.