Despite a chilly, windy, and at times drizzly weather forecast, this year’s Christchurch Show defied the odds, with organisers declaring the revamped and scaled-back event a success.

Karl Howarth, event manager for Event Hire, the company responsible for organising the event after it was initially cancelled in April, said they were "extremely happy" with the numbers through the gates over the show's three days,  November 14-16.

"We are finalising the numbers, but we are confident we saw between 55-65,000 people over the three days, so we hit our target even with the poor weather on Saturday."

The layout of this year's event saw food trucks scattered between trade sites and more audience entertainment interspersed throughout.

Farm machinery displays were down on other years, and traditional agribusinesses that typically occupy larger sites catering to farmers, such as PGG Wrightson and Ravensdown, were noticeably absent, but they have indicated to organisers that they will return next year.

Canterbury A&P Association president Bryce Murray said the committee was "thrilled" with attendance.

"It's amazing how many people came; we are really pleased."

The show ran from Thursday to Saturday, differing from the traditional schedule of Wednesday to Friday, a change Murray said may be a one-off this year.

"We may go back to Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and leave Saturday for the races."

Despite the board's decision to cancel due to the Association's financial woes, Murray was determined that this year's event would go ahead and is optimistic about the show's future.

"It's really good everyone pulled together to make it happen; the support has been amazing.

"The show was never going away; we just had to sort things out to make sure that happened.

"The budget has been done right through to 2025, and we are in the black all the way through."

By Claire Inkson