HAWARDEN SHOW TOMORROW

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 17

HAWARDEN SHOW TOMORROW

The Hawarden Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s annual show tomorrow should be one of the best in the association’s long history.

Total entries are an improvement on last year, in spite of 8 drop in the flower section, because of an adverse season. Total entries are 1655 compared with 1687 last year. Over-all entries in the stock classes are an improvement also, with the biggest increase being in the sheep sections.

The standard of competition i> expected to be high as fanners from the Hawar-den-Waikari district have long had a reputation for the quality of their products and an extra edge will be given by entries from other districts. The entries in the various sections are:—

Horses 122, sheep 427, wool 56, dogs (sheep and sporting) 28, grain 76, house and dairy 85, junior cooking 20, fancy work 66, schoolwork 494, flowers 58, decorative 33, fruit and vegetables 152, photography 27, art 11.

Although sheep entries total 427 about 800 sheep will actually be shown as some of the entries cater for pens of up to five sheep. The doubling of the grain entries this year has been largely accounted for by the very favourable growing season. There has been a strong swing back to wheat growing in the district in the last few years, during which acreage has probably been doubled. Although grain has long been a popular crop in the district, the harvest this year is one of the best fanners could recall.

As expected in a district giving such prominence to wheat growing it has its own flour mill at the sister town of Waikari, but wheat is sent also to mills in other districts. Community Bond

Although a distance of about six miles separates the centre of the two towns it is difficult to assess where one ends and the other begins. In fact residents of the two districts are united by a common community bond. Although the show association operates under the name of Hawarden, probably because of the location of the show, a great degree of support comes from the far extremes of the Waikari district. It has been suggested that the association could well adopt the practice of some sporting bodies of the district, who reflect the close affiliation between residents from the two areas by going under the name of Hawarden-Waikari and usually are more popularly known as “United.” Fifty members from the combined district spent a good part of Tuesday on 'a working bee preparing the grounds ready for the show and erecting hurdles for the pens. Preparations will be given a final touch at another working bee today. An earlier working bee added to the association’s facilities by making 100 new hurdles. The Young Farmers* Club is another of the combined Hawarden-Waikari organisations and plays its part in the show as well as other district events. In recognition of the contribution made by Y.F.C. members the association has adopted a progressive policy of giving them further experience with stock by appointing the club’s members as junior judges. Bars The only barrier claimed to exist between the HawardenWaikari district is that of separate telephone exchanges. At the borderline it costs

neighbours a toll call to speak to each other by phone—and, being sociable people, this runs in to “some hefty toll bills,” There has been light hearted reference to two other bars—both licensed ones that exist in Waikari while Hawarden is without a hotel. With many outstanding riders and horses coming from the district and surrounding North Canterbury areas it is natural that the show should feature a strong horse section. Horses have always played a major part in the show, with draughts and shepherds* hacks holding pride of place in earlier times. The shepherd’s hack class was a colourful affair with shepherd and hack turning out in full hills regalia and working kit, with a couple of dogs in tow. With the introduction of machinery the horse has largely dropped from the work scene and is now a source of recreation. This has carried in to the show, which was one of the first to introduce F.E.I. jumping. Officials of the show are proud of their horse section and feel that for F.E.I. jumping the show is one of the best equipped country ones. Riders and horses from the district figure prominently in the honours of major shows and horse events. Home of Corriedale

With the district regarded as being the, “home of the Corriedale,” developed by James Little, it is scarcely surprising that this breed should be the strongest Of the sheep classes. If some of the other breeds are not as numerous there is a diverse representation with the emphasis being on quality.

The Hawarden Memorial Park, along with the local sale yards, has been the home of the show for a good part of the association’s history. Others who use the park however, are indebted to the association, which has provided a pavilion as its contribution to the amenities, A new convenience block was erected a year or two ago

and the association is planning to build another next year.

Virtues extolled for the climate of the district are supported by the quality of the farm production. A good bracing climate is the enthusiastic description given the weather conditions, which range from hard frosts giving a drier cold and ample sunshine as compensation, to the sustained spells of hot nor’westers in the summer. But a stout heart is needed at times, particularly during periods of drought. Progress There have been more changes in the district in the last few years than in the previous 30, and even further back. The population has

been increasing a little as farmers have replaced accommodation for single men with cottages for married couples. State housing has played its part and associated with this also has been the group farm workers scheme that operates through the district A progressive spirit is evident in local body and other activities. Both towns have their volunteer fire brigades to serve the district The latest step in the progress of the district has been the letting of contracts by the Waipara County Council for the installation of high pressure water supply and sewerage schemes for the towns, the total cost of which will exceed £93,000. As well as serving the towns the high pressure

water supply will serve a number of farms for both household and stock purposes. The introduction of these schemes is expected to give development further impetus,

and many persons retiring from the land may well be encouraged to remain in either of the two towns instead of going further afield in search of urban facilities.