NINETEEN BREEDS OF SHEEP IN SHOW

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31836, 14 November 1968, Page 16

NINETEEN BREEDS OF SHEEP IN SHOW

Quality Of Entries High, Judges Say

For its size and diversity of breeds the Christchurch sheep show is unique.

The supervisor of the sheep section, Mr J. H. Ensor, said yesterday that 19 breeds were represented. This could be more than at any other show in the world. A few years ago, when there had been an entry of 1800 sheep In the show, he believed that it had also been the largest show. Yesterday judges were busy in the sheep pavilion dealing with sections ranging from the Corriedale with almost 300 entries to the Cheviots with a lonely two. The Corriedale section commanded the attention of five judges and is the only section in which judging has not been completed. v The Queensland Merino judge, Mr C. Bowhay, achieved something of a feat in completing the judging of his section in one day. He was impressed with the presentation of the sheep and the quality of the wool on exhibits from Central

Otago, one of whose representatives had a field day, winning some 10 first placing?, three championships, two reserve championships and a grand championship.

Last year an Australian iudge in the Corriedale section broke new ground in judging his sheep in a line and yesterday, on an experimental basis, Mr F. C. Ridgen used the same system for two of his ram classes. He said afterwards that it was probably fairer to exhibitors in that some sheep that might be passed over in the pens could command more attention when they were out in a line. For quality this year's show loses nothing in comparison with previous exhibitions. Judges who have been to Christchurch before frequently noted that the standard had improved and a notable tribute to New Zealand sheep was paid by an Englishman, Mr G. Hyde, from the home of the breed, who said that the Dorset Downs were the most “level” lot that had been put in front of him. Merino Leading studs of Marlborough. Canterbury and Otago were again well represented in the Merino section. As at some Srevious shows, Central Otago reeders, with an advantage in

climate for wool growing, had the edge on other exhibitors. But the Queensland judge (Mr C. Bowhay) noted, also, that the sheep were very well presented. Asked whether the Merinos were as good as, or better than he had expected. Mr Bowhay said that for size, the sheep were very good, and he liked the wool. While the show was not large on Australian standards, the top sheep would compete well. "I don't say they would win, because competition is pretty tough over there.” he said. The show was notable for the success of B. J. Paterson, of Ranfurly. This breeder won 10 first awards, three championships, two reserve awards, and finally the grand championship for rams. This sheep came from the strong-combing section, and was described by Mr Bowhay as a very big, long-bodied sheep. His fleece was of good strong Merino type, and It was heavy cutting. Smith Brothers, of Wedderburn, also had a good day, their four-tooth ewe in the finecombing section later taking the award for grand champion ewe. Mr Bowhay found that this ewe was big for a fine-woolled Merino, and he considered her fleece was of high class, because it showed no variation. The main group class was won by B. J. Paterson, with some heavy-cutting sheep, and he also won the class for a group of three rams. Mr Bowhay felt they had been very well presented. Mr Bowhay was very detailed in his judging, but the Merino section, which usually takes at least a day and a half to decide, was completed in a day. Merino breeders said this achievement was a rarity at the Christchurch Show. Mr Bowhay also judged a small entry of Poll Merinos. The three classes—all of them for rams—were won by Smith Brothers. Although the Merino, in numbers, represents only 2 per cent of New Zealand's sheep population, its position was reversed yesterday, for it attracted some of the strongest interest in the sheep section. Throughout the day, Mr Bowhay was watched by a strong group of Merino breeders and other interested persons. Halfbred Competition was not strohg in the halfbred section, but the quality of the ewes was better than usual- Hogget classes drew the best support, with seven entries in the ram class and eight in the ewes. The judge (Mr M. Phipps, of Hawarden), awarded the ram championship to a four-tooth shown by Smith Brothers, of Wedderburn. He was a very big-framed sheep. with a bright, high-yielding fleece. A ewe in the over 30 months class, shown by D. Inkson, gained the ewe championship. She, also was a big sheep. A ewe hogget, shown by C. Burrows, of Culverden. was judged the best sheep in the section.

English Leicester With 35 entries, the English Leicester section was about the same as usual for a Christchurch Show. The section was dominated by Robert Reid and Sons, of Darfield, who won five of the seven classes. They also won both championships and reserve championships. With eight entries, the shorn ram hogget class provided best competition, and the winner, shown by R. J. Low and Son,, of Hlghbank. also took the E. S. Taylor Memorial Challenge Cup. The judge was Mr T. L. Jenkins, of Sheffield. Border Leicester

Competition was again strong tn the Border Leicester section, and awards were fairly evenly spread. There was particular interest in the shorn ram hogget class, which drew, 29 entries. The judge (Mr F. G. Brown, of Waimate), selected one of two entries from J. G. Gunn, of Darfield. as the winner.

The ram championship went to a sheep in the over 30 months class shown by J. A. Thompson, of Oamaru. This is the fourth year in succession that Mr Thompson has won the ram championship. H. W. Farquhar. of Rotherham, took the reserve award with a four-tooth, and the same exhibitor later won the ewe championship with a sheep of the same age. The Border Leicester breeders’ special awards went to H. W. Farquhar in the ram hogget class., and to R. W. Campbell in th I* ewe hogget class.

Suffolk With 24 entries, the Suffolk section was not large, but the judge (Mr E. A. Banner, of Feilding), said quality was excellent. There was no tail-end; it was a section well up to metropolitan standard. Both the ram and ewe championships were taken by Pine Grove Stud, of Amberley. They also showed the reserve champion ewe. Both their top sheep were rearing twins, and doing them well. G. H. Burrows, of Geraldine, showed the reserve champion ram.

M Banner said the Suffolk breed was in strong demand in the North Island. Lambs by Suffolk rams had done well in cutting competitions, and this had resulted in the increased inquiry from fat lamb farmers.

Southdown Competition was strong in the Southdown section, particularly in the ram classes. The judging was notable for the success of A. D. Wyllie and Sons, of Omihi. They won the major awards in both the ram and ewe sections. They also won the Southdown Society’s special award for the best ram hogget, with an entry in the natural condition class. Mr L. G. Mackay, who judged the ewes, complimented breeders on the standard of the section. Exhibitors, he said, seemed to have an appreciation of what was required for the national product—the export lamb. Mr Mackay described Messrs Wyllie and Sons’ winning ewes as outstanding examples of the Southdown breed. He also commented on the standard of the younger sheep, saying he expected they would show to advantage as older sheep. Lincoln A breeder who has b6en showing at Christchurch for many years, Newton Godsiff, was the sole exhibitor in the Lincoln sheep section. He had two entries in the ram class, and two in th ewe class. Poll Dorset A feature of the sheep section was the increased entry of polled Dorsets. With 81 entries it was one of the strongest mutton breed sections. The judge (Mr W. W. Lowe, of Ashburton) said the breed was growing fast, both In numbers and quality. "S'ince I judged here some years ago. the breed has improved out of sight,” he said. "The younger sheep, in par- 1 ticular. are very good." Mr Lowe said the best classes were those for ewe and ram hoggets. For quality, they were better than the two-tootns, and the two-tooths, in turn, were better than the older sheep. , Mr Lowe recently attended the Melbourne Royal Show. This show was regarded as the best show for Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset sheep, he said. However, he thought the young sheep at Christchurch this year would hold their own if put against the Australian sheep. Awards were fairly well spread. A. G. W. Gardner took the ram championship with a sheep imported from Tasmania, while B. and P. Gardner took the reserve with a four-tooth. The ewe championship went to a hogget shown by S. L. and B. E. Chambers, while G. T. Askin took the reserve with a shorn ewe hogget.

Only 14 entries were judged in the Dorset Horn section. It reflected the trend toward the polled sheep of the same breed. The main exhibitor was G. T. Askin, who took both the ram and ewe championships. Corriedale Bushey Park, of Palmerston, came back into prominence in the Corriedale section in gaining the ram championship with a four-tooth out of part of the 1966 lamb drop which was retained on the property when most of the stock were put up

for auction last year and early this year. Exhibited by Bushey Park Stud, Ltd, the champion ram is a grandson of Bushey Park 74/60, which was the New Zealand Royal Show champion in 1963. The ram judge. Mr F. C. Ridgen, of Greendale, said that the champion was a very bold and upstanding sheep with a very fine fleece of even quality and very good length. The reserve championship went to J. F. G. Blakely and Son. of Waikari. Another Bushey four-tooth, this time a son of the 1963 champion, wbn the Killik Aike for the ram with the best sire's fleece. At a time when there was a world-wide interest in the breed, and in particular in New Zealand sheep, Mr Ridgen satd. it had been pleasing to see that sheep of the breed were maintaining and improving their quality. While the shorn rams were good bold sheep, Mr Ridgen said, there was a tendency for some to be in "over condition." Mr I. C. Johnston, of St Andrews, who judged the ram hoggets, said that there were large entries in these classes and the young sheep were of a very high standard throughout. The ewes were a magnificent lot, even and as well brought out as he had ever seen, them, satd Mr D. S. Studholme, of' Governor’s Bay. He said, however, that he would like to see breeders pay a little more attention to small points, such as ear markings. The W. R. E. and F. E. Booker team of sheep had a successful day at the show. They had the champion ewe, and in the very strong ram hogget class they were placed first, second and fourth with their three entries. In the four-tooth ram class they gained third and fifth placings and one of their exhibits in the aged ram class also won the San Pedro trophy. Romney "I think that there has been an over-all improvement in the sheep since I judged here three or four years ago.” satd Mr H. W. Cross, of Balclutha. who judged the Romney ewes. Mr Cro.sS said he liked the general balance of the champion ewe from C. Burrows, of Culverden. She was a freemoving sheep with a very nice fleece. Mr C, R. Humphries, of Gore, who judged the rams, also gave the top award to C. Burrow's, whose entry, he said, was a generally sound sheep that was hard to fault. This and the reserve from Rannoch Trust, of Darfleld. were fine specimens of the breed, he said. Ryeland Mr D. Buddo, of Hawke's Bav, who is president of the New Zealand Ryeland Society, commended a young breeder. N. C. Greenwood, of Leeston, when he judged the Ryeland section. Greenwood, whom the judge said he understood was not yet 21, exhibited both the champion ram and champion ewe. The champion ram had size, length and good wool, said Mr Buddo, and was fairly hard to fault. The reserve placing went to I. J. Muldrew, of Oamaru, for a sheep which, Mr Buddo said, was a very good bold ram of exceptional size. Mr Greenwood also won the ewe championship with a twotooth. Mr Buddo said he had given the prize to her because of the way she had done her lamb. Mr Buddo said that he had been very pleased with the size of the entry. It was bigger than when he had judged at Christchurch two years ago and it was also his impression that the general, standard was higher. He said that he had also been very pleased with the top four or five sheep in the ram hogget section. The Dent Cup, given by an Australian judge who judged at the Christchurch show last year, was awarded to G. H. Burrows. 1 of Geraldine. It was for the ram carrying the finest and ' most desirable fleece. 1

Mr H. C. B. Withell, of Ashburton, who selected the sheep for the trophy, said that the winner had good white wool that was dense and of even quality or count all over. In other sheep, he said, there was some yolk discoloration in evidence.

South Dorset | Down The South Dorset Downs were improving every year, said the judge, Mr H. M. King, of Winchmore. As proof of this he pointed to the exceedingly stong ram and ewe hogget classes, which attracted IS and 11 entries respectively. The top five or six sheep in the ram hogget section were very good and very even sheep, he said, and much the same could be said of the ewe hoggets. The top placing in the ram hogget class went to K. W. Busch, of Ashburton, and the same breeder headed the ewe hogget section. Bayldon Farm, of Amberley, took the ram championship with J. G. and R. J. King, of Penand a very well carcassed ewe from L. J. Begg, of Elgin, Ashburton, gained the ewe title with K. W. Busch in reserve. Perendale Only rams were entered In the Perendale section and Mr I. A. van Asch, of Havelock North, gave the championship to D. G. Baker and Company, of Cave, with D. A. Anderson, of Parnassus, the runner-up. The champion was an upstanding and very nice freemoving sheep. These qualities were essential to sheepfarmers in New Zealand today to hold th costs, said Mr van Asch. It was important, he said, that Perendale breeders be on the watch because some sheep were inclined to be level backed and inactive and there could still be lambing and casting problems.

Some of the wool on the sheep that he had seen had been a little coarser than he would like, as fine Perendale wool was commanding a very good premium.

Mf van Asch also judged the two Cheviot rams entered in the show. They were both from R. G. Macale, of Wainui, Banks Peninsula, and one of these was given a championship. South Suffolk The South Suffolk section had attracted larger entries and the quality was also higher, said the judge, Mr D. J. Stewart, of Rakaia. 1 The champion ram, also selected as the best sheep in the section, came from J. D. Galpin. Ltd, of Southbridge. This was an outstanding sheep, Mr Stewart said, and he liked nearly everything about him. Dorset Down An Englishman, Mr G. Hyde, of Wool, in Dorset, had high praise for the Dorset Downs. "It is the most level lot of Dorset Downs that I have ever had put before me,” he commented when he finished judging late in the afternoon. "The type and standard is so good that it makes me think that the main breeders have really stuck to the original type that was imported and it says a lot for the people who made the first importations, some of which came from our property.”. Mr Hyde’s family has been breeding Dorset Downs since 1846. Their breed line is the! the second oldest and the property next to where the flock is running is where the breed was evolved. Mr Hyde’s father is president of the Dorset Down Sheep Breeders’ Association. Although he has judged at all of the major shows tn Britain, Mr Hvde said that the ram hogget class yesterday, with some 40 entries, was the toughest class he had judged. Mr Hyde said he had been most impressed with the selection of sheep that he ffad

judged. Quality had been maintained, the sheep had length, their loin was filled, and because it was New Zealand their | fleeces had been looked after | However, he said, he felt that I breeders had to watch to keep the tail-set well up. The champion ram—a four tooth —came from A. H. Busch, of Shands Track, Christchurch. Mr Hyde said he was impressed that an older ram had maintained the standard of meat that it had. Lt hid size and length and also a very big fleece. In the reserve placing was an entry from S. R. Inwood, of Coutts Island, Christchurch. The champion ewe was exhibited by Darenal esate. Amberley. This was a sheep of real quality, Mr Hyde said, but it did not have the length of the ram. The reserve champion was from Bayldon Farm, also of Amberley. "I judged one or two classes of older rams at home last summer but I had nothing of this standard put before me," he said. Hampshire Down Mr W. A. Black, of Waimate, who judged the Hampshire Downs, said that they were of a very high standard and had 1 perhaps improved since he last judged at Christchurch two or three years ago.

There were a lot of "meaty” sheep among them, he said. Possibly the most disappointing thing about the entry was that there was a little black fibre in a lot of the woolly entries.