EXPORT LAMB COMPETITION

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27221, 12 December 1953, Page 8

EXPORT LAMB COMPETITION

AMBERLEY ENTRY WINS 'A feature of the export lamb competition held yesterday by the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association at the Islington works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., was the lightness of the lambs, according to the judges, Messrs G. C. Lennox and A. E. White, supervising graders of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. They said that a big percentage of the lambs were under 301 b. but were still of surprisingly good quality. The same judges officiated at the Mid-Canterbury district competition on Thursday and they said that the Ashburton lambs were of better quality than those they saw yesterday. Yesterday’s entry was, however, of better quality than the lambs sent forward from North Canterbury last year. Messrs Lennox and White, who were assisted in their judging by Mr J. Bennett, supervising grader of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., said that they felt that the seven pens they had chosen for competition London were a good selection. A pen of three Southdown threequarterbred lambs from N. S. Boyce • Amberley) were given first place in the competition. They weighed 321 b. 301 b and 311 b. D. Marshall (Springston) was second with three lambs weighing 341 b, 351 b, and 331 b. The judges said the first pen was outstanding, but Mr Marshall’s entry would have won the day had the middle lamb not been inclined to show excess fat. The judges said that there was little between the first three place winners.

Placings in the competition were: N. S. Boyce (Amberley) ■ 1; D. Marshall (Springston) 2; E. J. Whyte (Waipara), Southdown-half bred, 331 b, e 2Ib lu?? lb ’ Halliday (Springston), Southdown-Romney, 321 b, 311 b, 331 b, 4; H S. Bailey and Son (Springston),’ Southdown-Romney, 311 b, 331 h, 331 b, 5; K. Boon (Killinchy), Southdownhalfbred, 311 b, 331 b, 301 b, 6- A W Waddell (West Melton), SouthdownCorriedale, 321 b, 331 b, 311 b, 7; D. A. L Tong (Southbridge), Southdown-Cor-riedale, 321 b, 311 b, 321 b, 8; Estate J A. Wells (Oxford), Southdown-Rom-ney, 311 b, 321 b, 301 b, 9; N. Chamberlain (Ellesmere), Southdown-Romney, 311 b, 311 b, 311 b., 10. Mr Boyce drafted his own winning pen. Exhibitors and many others watched the lambs being killed, weighed and graded at the works.

Speaking at a function after lunch, the president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (Mr D. C. Macfarlane) said that from point of grade the lambs were one of the best entries that they had yet had, which meant that farmers were learning something from the competition. He congratulated the works on the excellence of the killing of the lambs. One hundred and twelve entries were received for yesterday’s compeition.