An exhibitor looks back over the years

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 31

An exhibitor looks back over the years

(Contributed bt

J. R. LITTLE)

With the advent of another Christchurch Show it is interesting to look back over the very great changes in the methods employed by exhibitors in the transporting and presenting of their stock, seating of their stock.

Although the changes have been gradual, and of a somewhat evolutionary nature, one can roughly divide the whole pattern into three periods. Incidentally, the use of rail transport died hard, as some stockmen maintained that stock, particularly sheep, travelled better, and with less disturbance to their wool on the steadier

platform of a railway waggon than on the swaying deck of a motor truck. This possible advantage only existed in the case of “show specials,” where shunting was held to a minimum.

It was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that Christchurch showing must have been at its most colourful—colourful only in retrospect, because to the showmen of the day, the gap between the perfectly presented stock at the show, and the stock in the paddocks 50 or 100 miies away, would seem almost insurmountable.

It was mainly the distance from the farm to the nearest railway station which posed the problem. Weeks and even months of work had already gone into show preparation on the farm. But one was faced with the 10, 15, or 20 miles of dusty road between farm and railway, where all the show work was going to be largely undone. In these days, when every farm has its own truck, and certainly a car, one must mentally replace the truck with a horse and dray or team and waggon, the utility with a spring-cart and light horse, and the car with a horse and gig. Then one begins to realise the problems. Getting the sheep to the railway involved droving, in some cases in two stages, the animals being paddocked or shedded for the night at a neighbour’s property, with at least one shepherd camping with the stock for the night. Bulls and stallions had to be led. Mares and foals formed a further group, some mares doing double duty as both matron and draught animal, as every waggon and dray was in use to carry the nonwalking stock, and the stock feed for a week’s stay at the show. For one well-known stud which exhibited dairy cattle, Clydesdales and two breeds of sheep, the whole movement was described rather fittingly as “looking like Moses heading for the promised land.” The sheep would be moving slowly away in front, having started in the dark long before the main group. Then the cattle on their own, with a long gap to let the dust settle. The Clydesdales followed with the best of the show horses coupled and led —in front of the vehicles, again to avoid dust.

The waggon, with gates as sides, led the five to seven drays loaded with the incredible amount of feed and gear required for an entire week.

The basic element of this period, however, was the necessity to spend several days right on the show ground in final preparation. It took a full day to get the stock from the farm to the railway and a day to get them back. It would entail at least a week of farming time, so was accepted as part of the farming programme — just as much as shearing or harvest, or any other procedure. In actual fact, the spring farm programme was built round the show and “the swedes must be sown by show time,” and "shearing starts the Monday after the show” —regardless of which week in November the show took place—were quite essential parts of a show stud’s farming. A disgusted shearer once stated that “if they cut out the Christchurch Show there wouldn’t be a cocky in Canterbury who would know when to start shearing.” This contained a lot of truth, if not quite for the reason he implied. This was, then, a great period in Christchurch showing, the show being of vital importance to breeders who were in the initial stages of making their stud’s reputation. The specialised stud breeders were just beginning to emerge, and the Christchurch Show

provided the only method of having their stock known, and purchased outside their immedate neighbourhood.

Many of the men in charge of the stock were not long removed from the great showing traditions of the Old Country, where even before Bakewell’s day, methods were being developed which ensured that stock were presented for competition looking at their best.

The second phase, from 1920 to 1940, followed the changes brought about by improved transport, communications, and show facilities. It was influenced by a greatly increased demand for New Zealand livestock overseas and the resulting high financial rewards hinging on show successes. One Chilean order alone, worth $20,000, was largely decided on the results of the Christchurch Show in one breed and that order stood for three years. This was only one order among many South American sales at the same time. It was no exaggeration when one breeder remarked that “a big win at Christchurch was worth 20,000gns”—it was fact.

This had two effects. Firstly it gave great financial justification for showing. Money was no object, and showing became increasingly elaborate. The presence of 150, or 200, or more potential sale animals on the farm, which had been wintered the same as the show stock, meant that there was a big pool of possible show sheep available. The possibility of overseas buyers being at the show caused breeders to take many animals down for possible sale only. This meant a great increase in the size of many show teams.

The inclusion of classes for pairs of sheep, pens of five, groups, all added to the numbers. Teams of 80 to 100 were not uncommon during the peak of this era.

The second effect was less favourable, a grim, slightly bitter element crept into the competitive spirit. This was not by any means general, but the

undercurrent was there. It was unpleasant while it lasted. During this period, while the use of road transport increased, the railways still brought most of the teams to Christchurch. However, stock could now be transported by truck to the railway sidings with less upsetting of show preparation, and thus less work to be done on the show grounds. By this time, also, the facilities on the grounds were increasing yearly, such as well-fenced holding paddocks, although only a small section of the sheep pens were under cover.

Full-woolled sheep can have their preparation spoilt by rain. The sheep, itself, is not affected, and the wool is not damaged, but the preparation is ruined.

Thus, the sheepmen would claim and straw down some completely unofficial areas where sheep could be rushed if rain occurred, particularly during the night. This led to some hectic moments when at some ungodly hour of the night, the show ground would suddenly fill with urgent, halfawake shepherds, all rushing their stock away to their own private shelter by the light of torches. The change to road transport entirely was bound to come eventually, as it had many advantages, but show people can be very conservative at times, and the change would have been much more gradual had Mussolini been running

those stock trains. At this time, stock were basically quartered in the holding paddocks, and driven in small groups to the exhibition pens for each day’s showing, then returned to the holding paddocks at night. It was an involved business, with up to 1000 or 1500 sheep of some 10 to 15 breeds in the hands of a large number of exhibitors all jockeying for position to enter the exhibition area.

Also, with this holding paddock system went the agonising occasions each night of leaving stock resting quietly on grass with a risk of rain, or jamming them under shelter where some-of the essential bloom would be lost. Sheep became very tired at shows. The third phase of showing—from 1950 to the present time—has become a very streamlined and efficient business. The stock arrive the evening before the show or the morning of the show and go straight into their exhibition pens where they stay for the duration.

The staggered times of arrival of road transport avoids congestion in penning up, and the present system of sheep remaining in their pens for the entire show simplifies the whole question of feeding and attention.

This final change was brought about by several factors, but the main factor was the covering of the whole sheep section. A second factor was the increasing number of ram sheds on breeders’ farms, or the use of woolsheds for this purpose. Show sheep were becoming more accustomed to confined conditions, or the means were available to get them accustomed.

Thirdly a group of conditions was evolving which was changing the whole conception of Christchurch showing. The increasing tempo of farm work, and the smaller staffs employed on farms, meant that less time could be spent at shows, the overall effect being that one could no longer spend an unlimited

time in showing. Every day “counted" on the farm.

Through the international uncertainty of farm produce, and international economic uncertainty there has been a temporary- halt to the big overseas markets, and the immense financial rewards hanging on the “big” shows, so that great financial justification for showing has temporarily gone.

Christchurch Show no longed dictates $50,000 worth of overseas stud sales each season. The ram breeder’s sales are mainly among flock rams at present, and the smaller local show's have increased in importance in a show programme.

This in no way means the decline of the big shows, rather the contrary, but it does means they have temporarily at least lost some of their importance in the fanning programme. Being the main operation of the stud farmer’s year, the show is still a very important one, but not quite the end-all of existence it once was.