COURTENAY SHOW TOMORROW

Press, Volume C, Issue 29673, 17 November 1961, Page 18

COURTENAY SHOW TOMORROW

Record Entries For 86th Annual Show Tomorrow the Courtenay Agricultural and Pastoral Association will hold its eighty-sixth annual show on the Kirwee show grounds and, in spite of threats of drought, the district will have the best of its livestock and produce on display.

The show this year has attracted record total entries which are well above the previous highest figure of 2487 entries put forward for judging last year. The new record is 2577 entries. With the record number of 1023 entries in the horse and pony sections, compared with last year’s record of' 886, the Courtenay show will ’be second only to the Christchurch Metropolitan Show in the size of the horse classes. Many of the classes are similar and the Courtenay association is one of the few to divide its pony classes into three groups with three championships.

The cold wet winter which extended late into the spring months and ended in searing north-west winds severely limiting the spring growth has resulted in fewer fat lambs being entered and the sheep classes generally will be smaller. Entries of sheep are only 250, compared with 374 last year, which was a record. Cattle are only slightly behind last year with 103 entries, compared with 114. Poultry entries have increased from 55 last year to 68, and dogs and dog trials are about the same with 51 entries. Grain and seeds are steady at 32 entries but farm produce has dropped to 131 from the 204 entered last year. Home industries have slightly dropped to 123, compared with 141, but photography is up slightly to 94 entries on the 90 shown last year. School children's classes have shown a considerable

increase from 541 last year to 700 entries. The overall total of entries is 90 above last year’s total Traditionally held the week following the Christchurch show, the Courtenay show attracts many horse and pony exhibitors who have their mounts in peak show condition and the continued rivalry makes for a high standard of presentation and riding. In the opinion of many horse exhibitors the standard at Kirwee is frequently up to that of a metropolitan show. There are no F.E.I. events, however, for horses and ponies and the association has retained the traditional hack and hunter classes. Even with three judging rings operating for part of the day it takes much organisation by the horse committee to get the ring events over in reasonable time.

Pony events are very popular and members of a number of pony clubs make the show a day’s outing. The district has its own pony club, the Bangor Pony Club, there is another at Springfield which also competes and the Halswell and the branches of the Christchurch clubs take part

History— The Courtenay show has a history which extends back to 1872 when the Courtenay Farmers’ Club held a show at the Desert station homestead, which was one of the early Canterbury runs in the area. After two or three years the show lapsed but was revived in 1877. It was not until several years later that the association decided to shift the site of the show to Kirwee, which was more central and the show has been held there since. The district is well served with shows. The Courtenay show is held in the spring and in the autumn following the harvests the Malvern Agricultural and Pastoral Association holds its show at Sheffield. In the last year the association has made further improvements to their show grounds. Old trees have been cut back and new boundary fences have been erected. A new secretary's office has been built at the end of the building which serves as a hall and produce display room and a new stage has also been built