101st SHOW AT ADDINGTON

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 22

101st SHOW AT ADDINGTON

Working Day For Judges, Entrants

Opening day at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show is a working day for the judges and exhibitors, and even the visitors are mostly farmers bent on the serious business of prodding other farmers’ stock and climbing over header-harvesters.

Yesterday was like that. The show atmosphere which is so familiar to the thousands who will stream out to Addington tomorrow for People’s Day could barely be detected.

Judges were judging, side-show men were still driving in tent stakes and setting up their prizes, and the merry-go-rounds were still without horses.

But in the show ring cattle showed their best qualities to banks of very knowledgeable faces, and horses were led and ridden to a murmur of expert criticism from both sides of the fence. Stock sheds were filled with Canterbury’s best farmers looking at the province's best animals, and outside, salesmen showed rows of brightly-painted machinery to prospective clients.

As well as several thousand association members and their families, there were about 2000 other visitors to this hundred and first show, who paid a total of £260 5s at the gate. Last year the gatetakings on the first day were £212 18s 6d, and this year’s attendance was higher than that for the last few years. The admission charge is 4s for’adults and Is for children. Although there was rain early in the morning, the rest of the day was perfect—slightly overcast at first and sunny in the afternoon. “The ring is in great order.” said Mr H. M. Studholme, the association's , secretary-manager, “and we have a particularly attractive programme this year. About a third of the ring was ploughed and re-sown in the autumn.” Mr Studholme said that stock-class numbers were down this year because of the very wet winter, but the quality was extremely good. “You won’t see a sheep (Low better than this anywhere in the country,” he said. “These are wonderful sheep.” An experienced sheepman explained that the sheep entered for the show were not affected by the bad win-

risking its popularity very dangerously if it had been left out this time. Yesterday’s match was a draw between the Waikato team, tlie three members of which are all Kayes—one of the most famous polo-playing families in New Zealand with a polo history going back several generations—and the team from Hawke’s Bay. Australian horsemanship at its showiest best was demonstrated by Stuart Lear, who galloped up and down the show ring in the most startling positions—hanging from the saddle by one leg with his head near the ground, standing on his shoulders on the horse’s neck, and hanging head-down over the horse’s tail so that everyone expected him to get his head kicked in. But the horse shortened its stride with its bind legs and the drumming hooves kept just out of range.

ter because they had not been exposed to it. “These animals are mollycoddled,” he said. "They are kept indoors and cared for specially for exhibition at the show.” The best use of the improved ground was made by two deadly rival polo teams —Hawke’s Bay and Waikato —which again delighted Canterbury showgoers with a spectacular display. Polo was so popular with the crowds last year that the association would have been

Lear also vaulted over and ar, und the horse as it tore along the paddock, and swung from the saddle in a full circle under the horse’s belly to the saddle again.