OWNERS AND BREEDERS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18149, 12 August 1924, Page 6

OWNERS AND BREEDERS.

ANNUAL REUNION. The. annua! reunion of the Canterbury Owners and Breeders'' Association, held list eight, was a big success. The Masonio H<ll, which had been arranged for the function by Mr G. S.' Simpson, the secretary, was croffued, and a,large numl>er' : oi invited g-uesta were present, including Messrs \V. Jisioir, li. ii. Price, >V. S. vVootton, G. Vvnty, M.P, C. ii. J'atees (New Brighton Ciub), J. .besiie (president Canterbury Park Olii Dj, and £. £L. Cucksey (AucKiaxd). In opening the reunion, the- chairman (Mr J. W. ■ I'risii said ft gave him great pleasure to a;am welcome the laige "number of visitois and auembcrs. The committee had decided that the reunion enouki be a musical evening instead of a night of speeches. (Applause.) At last it iiad become ian accomplished fact that the Association .had , its own ciub-roonis and mest-mg-place in. Chriitchurch. It was fitting that more Senefi'ta should be given t<> the members. ' Some ' rhembera felt • that they were ■ left in "tne cold," but Mr Trist said that the committee . did . their work very quietly. . . ''Trotting Clubs of the Dominion" it-is proposed by Mr li. J. Munro, who sa*d that the sport' was fortunate to be in the position it was to-day, a poSi\;ion due to the foresight kI tho members and the committees of- the various trotting clubs, of the Dominion. . As far as his experience had gone, the ambition of the clubs had always been to place the sport on its presiiit piane. . "When, the Clubs put on the Juvenile, Welcome, and other stakes thirty or forty years ago, their enterpr.ee |iad tended to elevate trotting. Alter looking blck over a long number of . years, too much thanks .ooujd not be given to those men who had given iheir valuable time And thought to make trotting decent. Years ago, as they knew, not many had the cxiUrage to tell their friends that they were going to a trotting meeting. "Yet I don't think that there i 3 ouo. man in the liity to-day who would be afraid of saying that ho is going to the Metropolitan trotting' course," said Mr Munro. Replying, Mr W. J. Moir said that if fho owners, breeders, and c übs could not get together there would bo no sport. Trotting wa& one of tho finest sports in New Zealand. Wherever' he had been he had been well entertained by the. various clubs, and tho other visiting trainers and owners had had the same experience.' The owners and .trainers in tho South Island were more advantageously-situated, as regards tracks and''travelling, than th 6 trotting world in the North Island, :yet the- fact that the Otahuhu Club, were spending £60,000 on a new grandstand and had greatly improved their grounds was evidence of how trotting was progressing. The. same could bo eaid of Greymouth. To those clubs the thanks of the owners and breeders were due. (Hear, hear.) Tho chairman presented prizes to the following:—Leading- reinsman: J- iiiyce (gold-mounted whip, presented by Mr G. Fox); second reinsman: A. Butierfield (17 wins, silver-mounted whip, presented by Mr S. Thompson)'; loading trainer: J. Bryco (gold-mounted whip, presented by "U.Z. Trotting Journal"); second trainer: J. J. Kennerley (silver-mounted whip, presented by Mr J. W. Trist); leading sire: Mr F. Holmes's Logan Pointer, 75 winners (red ribbon, presented by- Mr H. A. Jatficn); leading money-winner sire: Mr F. Holmes's Lagan Pointer (£22,939), shield, presented by, Mr A. D.- Hamilton; to be held annually by owner of leading sire). The toist of "Donors of Prizes" waa proposed by Mr J'. N. Clark and responded to by Mr H'. A. Jarden. Other toasts honoured were-"Tho Visitors," proponed by Mr W. Hayward, responded to by Messrs H. Fisk&n (Gisborae) and E. H. Ouckaey (Auckland). Tho musical programme was well selected. Items were given by the Metropolitan -Orchestra ; Mr, Mark Ericksen (of the George Storey Revue Co.), in "Song and Story"; dnet, "The Battle Eve" .and "Watchman, What of the Night" by .Messrs ,F. ■ Cocks and C. Williamson; banjo and _mandolin duets by Messrs. P. Skinner and J.Kermode; song,. "Bonny 'Mary of ■ Mr C. Williamson; songs;- Mr A. McPherson. . ' ============== ' |