Royal Canberra Show 2016: Cooling off a highlight of a warm Friday

While many patrons lingered in the sign-posted and aptly named "shady spots" to catch the breeze, cattle fitter Bert Barrass, from Yass, was one man working flat out, despite the heat, to make the show's star cattle look their best.

He'd lost count of how many heifers he'd made over but reckoned it was at least 25 by mid-afternoon on Friday.

While he admitted some clients were more difficult than others, the young square meater heifer Weethalle Lotus he was zhooshing-up, this year's feature breed at the show, was a more willing participant only ducking when the buzzing clippers neared her ears.

"Hairdressers watch me at work and say 'I'll never complain about a two-year-old again'," Mr Barrass laughed.

"The hardest bit is always the head."

And the secret to making cattle look their best, which can take up to two hours of washing and clipping, was the same principle applied to humans, Mr Barrass said.

"You have to make the best bits look better and hide the bad bits," he said.

"I could be here until 10pm but hopefully I'll be back in the hotel by then."

Outside, the warmth of the sun wasn't enough to deter Canberrans lucky enough to score the day or afternoon off work or school from checking out this year's offerings at the show.

Most regulars were impressed.

After attending as a baby one-year-old Ruby Navfield was enjoying her first proper show with grandparents Cathie and Shane Broomfield.

By mid-afternoon she'd patted a guinea pig, seen the horses, scored a balloon and chocolate ice-cream but the "baa baa black sheep" had been a definite highlight.

Few were braving sideshow alley and the rides, when temperatures were at their hottest, but the shade of the dodgem cars provided respite for some.

Sampling the newest additions to the ride selection was too hard to resist for show regulars like 11-year-old Brooklyn Leslie, who was impressed by the Pirate Ship and the Crazy Coaster.

But for her brother Cooper, 6, the ride had been a "little scary" and the retro charms of the Gravitron were the highlight.

Dad, Shane, said the family came every year and was pleased to see more shaded areas than usual.

For Alliah Morseray and sons Yufus, 7, and Habib, 2, everything at the show was new, with the family enjoying their first ever show after recently moving from Brisbane.

It was Yufus' idea to visit and after he missed out on winning Ninja Turtle toys, the best part of the day was when mum bought them.

Elsewhere people escaped the heat in the air-conditioned pavilions and livestock chilled out on cool concrete floors under the breeze of industrial fans.

But the warm weather had one advantage: if you wanted a coffee, it was one occasion where the cafe vans were queue-free.

Saturday highlights