3 min. Before Judges

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30896, 1 November 1965, Page 2

3 min. Before Judges

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. Oct. 31

All that came into the 1965 “Miss International” beauty competition at Long Beach was “body beautifull,” Miss Janice Barclay, New Zealand’s representative at the pageant, said on her return to Auckland on Saturday.

Several of the contestants were disappointed by the method used for judging, she said.

Miss Barkley, aged 19, of New Plymouth, was runner-up to Miss Gay Phelps in the Miss New Zealand competition earlier this year. At the “Miss International” competition “all we had to do was to walk down a catwalk in a swimsuit and a gown. They (the judges) saw us for three minutes,” Miss Barkley said.

A selected 15 of the 55 girls taking part then appeared before a microphone. The judges then heard recordings of the girls giving speeches written for them.

Miss Barkley said: “I don’t think it was the best way to judge a big world contest. “I thoroughly enjoyed the contest because I did not take it too seriously. I went to represent New Zealand and to enjoy myself.” LED PARADE

One of her best memories was leading the 90 girls in the two beauty competitions, with the National Band of New Zealand, down the main boulevard at Long Beach. A few days before the competition Miss Barkley, who has done quite a bit of horseriding, competed in an elephant race with “Miss Argentina.” Officials had heard that Miss Barkley had competed in such a race in New Plymouth. “I thought an elephant race would put New Zealand in the public eye, and it did,” she said.

About 20 yards from the finishing line “Miss Argentina” “bobbed” off her elephant and Miss Barkley went on to win the race and 100 dollars.