Darfield Man Wins Export Lamb Contest

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 16

Darfield Man Wins Export Lamb Contest

A young farmer from Darfield, Mr J. McL. Syme, aged 24, yesterday won the North Canterbury export lamb competition at the Islington works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company. The lambs were Mr Syme’s first entries in the competition. Mr Syme’s father, Mr J. H. Syme, is a former winner of the competition. Mr Syme, sen., said at the works yesterday he believed he had won the first competition to be held.

Mr J. McL. Syme, a member of the Darfield Young Farmers’ Club, farms 272 acres at Darfield and 142 acres of rolling downs in the Sheffield valley. He wintered about 1000 ewes, mostly Romneys, this year, among them 78 stud Southdowns. He breeds his own Southdown rams which were mated with Romney ewes to produce his prizewinning lambs. He also grows about 160 acres of crops.

The winning lambs were drafted by Mr H. Jones, agent for Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd., at Darfield. Lambs from Messrs E. B. and G. J. Glenday, of Waikari, were run-ners-up.

When the leading seven pens in the competition were regrouped lambs being exchanged where necessary between the competitor’s prize pen and his other pen in the competition—for dispatch to London, where they will compete against the top lambs from other competitions in the South Island, a pen from Mr P. T. Johnson, of Le Bons Bay, who won the competition in 1962, was placed second.

The judges were Messrs A. E. White and E. Bell, supervising graders for the Meat Board, and Mr B. Musson, supervising grader for the New Zealand Refrigerating Company at Islington. Messrs White and Bell said Mr Syme’s three lambs

had good meat content, little waste, and were good weights. Mr White told farmers attending, the judges liked the pen because of the brightness of the lambs and the leanness of the meat. The London judges might like a little more covering on them, he added.

Messrs White and Bell said the top seven pens were an even lot with good meat content, but from about the thirdplaced pen down they tended to be a little overdone.

Mr White said the dressing of the lambs had been excellent and the branding exceptionally good. Placings in the district competition (with breed and weights) were:—J. McL. Syme (Darfield) Southdown-Romney lambs, 331 b, 321 b, 321 b, 1; E. B. and G. J. Glenday (Waikari), Southdown - Corriedale, 311 b, 331 b, 331 b, 2; J. F. Smith (Broadfield), Southdown • Corriedale, 351 b, 321 b, 341 b, 3; P. T. Johnston (Le Bons Bay), SouthdownBorder Romney. 331 b, 351 b, 341 b, 4; M. F. Vernon (Hawarden), Southdown - Corriedale, 341 b, 331 b, 341 b, 5; D. Lang (Hawarden), Southdown - Corriedale, 331 b, 321 b, 321 b, 6: I. D. McLeod (Springston), Southdown-Rom-ney. 341 b, 321 b, 311 b, 7.

When the lambs were regrouped for London, Mr Johnston’s pen was raised from fourth to second place, and the pen of Messrs E. B. and G. J. Glenday relegated to fourth.

The pens selected for London •(in order, with weights), were: J. McL. Syme. 331 b, 321 b, 321 b, 1: P. T. Johnston, 331 b, 35ib', 341 b, 2: J. F. Smith, 321 b, 341 b, 331 b, 3: E. B. and G. J. Glenday, 311 b, 311 b, 331 b, 4; M. F. Vernon. 341 b. 331 b, 341 b, 5; D. Lang. 331 b, 321 b, 321 b, 8; I. D. McLeod, 341 b, 321 b, 311 b, 7. Pens entered this year totalled 147.