OVER A THOUSAND HORSE ENTRIES

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32874, 24 March 1972, Page 6

OVER A THOUSAND HORSE ENTRIES

One of the largest one-day shows in Canterbury for horses, will be held at Sheffield tomorrow when the Malvern Agricultural and Pastoral Association stages its sixty-sixth annual show.

Each year the entries in the horse events at the Sheffield show grow steadily and this year they appear to have reached a record. The total horse entries is 1131 compared with 970 last year.

One of the reasons suggested for th« popularity, of the Malvern Show among horse people is because Sheffield is only a 31 mile drive from Christchurch on a straighl flat section of the West Coast Road. A big number of the horse entries in the show tomorrow are from Christchurch. The other show in the Malvern County, the Courtenay A. and P. Show al Kirwee held at the end oi each year, also attracts a large number of horses. This year the association has introduced a natural condition section in the cattle class. The association is aware of the great increase of cattle on farms in the county in preference to sheep due to the changing economic tide, and it is hoped that this new section will became a permanent part of the association’s schedule. The introduction of the natural condition section has been made possible largely because of Hurricane Industries who have lent the association pens to house the cattle in the section. About 10 to 12 entries have been received for the natural condition section. SMALL SEEDS Farmers in the Malvern county have always been proud of their substantial production of small seeds and this year the association will place special emphasis on this. Two Christchurch agricultural engineering firms will feature two seed cleaning plants at the show.

( Entries in the grain and , seed section have increased by 31 on those received last ’ year. The association has no • grounds of its own but converts the Sheffield Domain into- a show ground for the ; special day. This means a ' lot of voluntary work by ’ members of the association's committee and others wili ling to help. More than 30 , people have been working at the domain on three separate occasions this week making sure the annual event is as successful this year as it has been in the past. Sheep entries, which , also fell last year on those in 1970, have again decreased. Cattle on the other hand have shown quite an increase, and this could be a sign of the times. The biggest increase in entries in the indoor section is in the home and dairy produce which has increased by 31 on the 1971 entries.

A detailed comparison of entries this year as compared to those in 1971 are:

Vegetables 85 113 The St Andrew’s College Pipe Band will perform at the show and its . appearance will be of particular significance because the band’s former drum major,, D. A. Solomon has accepted a special request to appear for the final time with the band. Mr Solomon this year again won the staff flourishing event at the national pipe band championships ana for the last few years has undoubtedly been one of the best pipe band drum majors in New Zealand. His display tomorrow is at the special request of the new secretary of the association (Mr G. A. M. Hilson) who retired last year as bursar at St Andrew’s College. He was in charge of the college pipe band since 1949 and much of Mr Solomon’s success must be attributed to Mr Hilson.

Horse* 1972 1131 1971 970 Cattle 86 67 Pigs 31 62 Sheep 307 314 Wool 6 16 Grain and Seed .. 137 106 Homecraft 87 147 Dogs 27 24 Preserves 57, 73 Potatoes 82 58 Home and Dairy Produce 144 113