NEW SHOW RING

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 17

NEW SHOW RING

Added Space To Ground

A show centres around the show ring, and a small cramped showring means difficulties in ocganisation for the officials and in finding a spot to see iter the spectators. This year the association has enlarged the Leeston show ring by one-third and has turned the oval through 90 degrees to take more land into the main ground. This work took all winter. Oak trees had to be cut down and the stumps removed, the ground had to be levelled, cultivated and sown in new grass, and the horse boxes had to be shifted to a new site. Members of the committee who planned the work visited other associations throughout Canterbury to determine the optimum size tor a show ring, and the new area is now about 10 chains by five chains, compared with its former size of eight chains by four chains. The former ring was erected in 1925 when Mr T. A. Stephens was president. This year his son, Mr H. G. Stephens, is president. Many of the old posts which were of jarrah were still sound enough to be used again and the same timber was used for the 100 additional posts required for the extensions. These have been strung with new wire, and the new ring should prove just as enduring as its predecessor. Probably no other show association is as fortunately placed for land. Any problems of future expansion seem assured by the association’s holding of 120 acres, of which about 60 acres is let for farming during the year except on show day, when it is called on to provide parking space.

Hospital Chaplains.—The report on the work of hospital chaplains given to the Christchurch Presbytery on Tuesday evening was presented by the. Rev. D. G. Shaw, and not the Rev. C. A. Mitchell as was reported in "The Press.”