PEOPLE’S DAY AT THE SHOW

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29052, 14 November 1959, Page 20

PEOPLE’S DAY AT THE SHOW

Magnificent Bull Leads Parade Stepping forth with regal majesty the imported Beef Shorthorn bull, Glastulloch Legend, champion of its breed, yesterday led the grand parade of champions into the ring to form the most spectacular display of livestock ever seen on the third day of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s Metropolitan Show. For the first time the association adopted the general overseas practice of a moving parade in which the long lines of champions and prize-winning animals move up and down and around the arena. Heralded by the Christchurch Caledonian Highland Pipe Band, the cattle moved into the ring in two lines which moved around opposite sides of the arena, turned back at the northern end, and then crossed over at the southern end to repeat the process on the other side. The horses paraded down the centre and then formed into five separate rings in the middle. The moving parade demonstrated the importance of every exhibit in the making of a successful show. Any doubts which might have beeft felt when the proposals to hold the parade were first mooted must surely have been dispelled by the spectacle, which had continuous interest for the public.

Indicative of the march of progress was the parade of the Clydsdale section, which for many years has headed the horses in the grand parade. Yesterday they took their place in a separate ring in the centre of the arena, a reminder of the day gone by.

The third, day of the show is traditionally regarded as People’s Day and it lived up to its reputation. Townsmen and their families thronged the grounds. In the brilliant sunshine shade was at a premium and the shady areas under the trees set aside for picnicking were filled. The temperature reached a peak of nearly 80 degrees later in the afternoon,. when a north-westerly wind sprang up. Last year’s record show day temperature was 85.3 degrees. At 1 p.m. the temperature was 76 degrees, but by the time the stock were parading in the arena it had dropped to a pleasant 71 degrees.

The police dogs Buck and Ace and their handlers Constables W. Stickings and L. Petersen again thrilled the crowds with a demonstration of their prowess. Obedience tests, scaling walls, disarming the "criminal” Constable K. Gallagher and other forms of combat made an interesting display. This was followed by a stiltwalker striding back and forth across the ring six feet above the ground and teetering as he demonstrated his powers of balance. The radio-controlled tractor manoeuvred itself among the ring staff who were erecting jumps, and showing the capabilities of modern electronics. Ring Events Popular The ring events continued with the F.E.I. competitions which attracted a good following. Some excellent performances were given by horses and riders with close finishes in all three events. Well before the sheep do'g trials final at 1 p.m. the stands were filled and the ringside and banks were crowded. Shirts, dresses and hats merged into a kaleidoscopic variegation of colour and from across the fence in the trotting ground came the voice of the commentator calling the progress of the latest race. The show ring took on a truly carnival air. In the stock pavilions the animals looked back with lofty disdain at the crowds thronging the alleys. Sleek proud bulls in beribboned stalls and woolly sheep ruminated unconcernedly as the

In numerous homes a child lay sleeping, a toy clutched in its hand, dreaming over the day's events. The Christchurch show was over for another year.

winner of the Elizabeth Millear Cup, Christopher Davison, was a very good rider with sympathetic hands and a strong seat for one so young.

The George Maginness Challenge Cup was fought out by the two Dunn sisters, Jennifer and Diana, with very little separating them and the award going to Diana. They had an equally close finish in the Nydia Perpetual Challenge Cup. Competitions The jumping in the afternoon was very thrilling, with the Beath open F.E.I. table A competition creating great interest. It was won by Cliff Mould, of Dunedin, on Treason, who fought it out in the final jump-off with Ellis Upritchard on Land Rover. However, in jhe Gambler stakes the position was reversed and the award went to Land Royer —a very popular win, indeed, with the crowd. In spite of the hard ground the jumping throughout the show was of a very, high standard.

plaudit: "Ooh, there’s the champion.” rang out. As the day drew on the crowds increased, moving slowly through the trade exhibits, milling around the refreshment stalls, and quietly sitting to watch the ring events. Small children with sun hats, tinselled dolls and trinkets on sticks clutched in sticky hands and ice cream stains on their shirt and dress fronts gazed blissfully at the next stall they came to.

Children clambered over tractors and implements, waggling levers and wheels and imagining themselves kings for the day in this monster playground. A fractious tired child cried in its mother’s arms and a father admonished his prodigal son: “Heck, I’m not made of money. You’ve had 10 bob already,” he growled in the way fathers do, and then dug into his pocket again. Weary Mothers

A foot-weary mother with pram, balloons and all looked at a trade display of pumping equipment pouring thousands of gallons of water back and forth in a small round open tank. “If I could only take my shoes off and paddle,” she said to no-one in particular. Back and forwards the crowds moved along the roadways and paths, grudgingly making way for the motorised juggernauts carrying fresh supplies of ice cream and soft drinks for the rapacious appetites of young and old alike. Sideshow alley barkers roared* themselves hoarse but for good reward. The shining coins built up in little mountains as the public moved into the tents to see some new amusement, “had another go” at darts or games of ‘‘skill” or replaced a burst balloon or broken windmill with one of equally fragile proportions. Traditionally, a proportion of the fathers on the grounds slipped through the gates at some stage in the afternoon to “just see the end of the fifth race” and left Mum behind with the kids.

The sun went down slowly on the Show Groun'ds. Trucks backed into the loading bays and stock plodded up the ramps, tents began to come down, sideshow proprietors closed up their stalls and the crowd moved off leaving behind the inevitable trail of litter and rubbish which characterises the close of a show.

The open F.E.I. jump for ponies provided an exciting finish to the show events. Three ponies jumped clear rounds and in the final jump-off, Sansi, ridden by Jennifer Morten, jumped a clear round to beat Diana Cunningham on Kitty, with Neil Anderson on Karara in third place. These junior riders all gave a polished display of capable handling of their mounts. CATTLE The class for a market milk cow to be judged on type and production record was won by N. J. Sherriff and Sons. The cow, Deloraine C.S. Burkeyje, was a seven-year-old fifth calver and in its previous lactation had recorded 7181 b of butterfat in 305 days’ lactation for a total of 15.0001 b of milk at 4.7 per cent butterfat.

The minimum standards for the class were an average .test of 3.75 per cent, with a total of 5001 b butterfat in 10,0001 b of milk. This is the first time the class has been included in the catalogue and 19 entries were received. It was judged by the dairy .breeds judges.

the best registered purebred beef animal was awarded to R. G. and T. R. E. Allan for a three-year-old Aberdeen Angus heifer with a calf at foot. The heifer, Topza of Heathfield, was selected by the combined judges of the beef cattle section. DOG TRIALS Both the first and second placings in the sheep dog trials final in the ring were won by R. M. Wilson of Kirwee. With both dogs he gave an excellent demonstration of control and an over-all polished performance. The judge of the section, Mr Duncan Anderson of Kurow, said that Wilson’s Trump, which he had placed first with 96 points, had given a smooth progressive performance with only minor faults throughout, and the second dog, Starlight, which was much younger, had been credited •with 941 points. Starlight had lost a few marks for lack of progress at times.

H. M. King, of Methven, gained third placing with Bruce jnr„ and scored 93J points. The dog had made an excellent progressive run throughout but a bad break at the pen had cost him a higher place. • The veteran competitor, T. Brankin of Little River, with Bruce received 90. points. It put up-a good performance, not quite up to the standard of the top three, Mr Anderson said. Overall, the standard of work of the 50 entrants in the qualifying round was exceptionally high, he said. A great deal of credit had to be paid to the quality of the sheep provided for the event. Many of the unplaced dogs narrowly missed qualifying for the final.

The qualifying course on the trotting ground had provided an excellent test but Mr Anderson considered “it could have been improved by lengthening. For the final in the showring the course was excellent with plenty of room.

Mr Anderson commented on the excellent organisation and marshalling of botlr the qualifying add final events. This had been