Stiff competition, big crowds highlight Canty Show opening

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 26

Stiff competition, big crowds highlight Canty Show opening

Big crowds and stiff competition were the keynotes of the first day of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show at the Addington Show Grounds yesterday.

At the end of the day, gate-takings totalled $10,744, which was well up on last year. They matched the takings at the Royal Show in 1982, making yesterday one of the biggest opening days for a Canterbury show. There are a record number of trade exhibitors at the show, with about 250 exhibits. Many firms have mounted exhibits at the show for the first time. For the first time, two trophies for the trade exhibits will be awarded, one for the best big display and one for a small exhibit. In the past, the Canterbury A. and P. Association has awarded certificates for the best presented displays. Animal entries compare well with previous years. The cattle entry of 1002 is more than 100 higher than last year. Sheep entries, at 1482, are about 100 fewer than last year and horse

entries, at about 1460, are also slightly down on last year’s record entry. There are 148 pig entries and 73 entries in the dog trials which match last year’s figures. The show’s director, Mr Noel Woods, said that the show was running very well and judging was going smoothly. A feature of this year’s show is the “Waters of Canterbury” exhibition in the Canterbury Court. It includes displays of river flows, irrigation, well drilling, hydro-electric developments and water management. A Bailey bridge has been installed as part of the display. Next door in the theatrette is an exhibition on the West Coast, which includes demonstrations of glass-blowing, pottery and gold mining. A big block of ice has

been especially flown in from Franz Josef Glacier for the display. Visitors are invited to guess how heavy the block will be by 3 p.m. on Friday. The winner of the competition will get a free week-end trip to Franz Josef and a flight over the glacier. Air New Zealand has a display of two aircraft engines at this year’s show, which attracted a lot of interest. They are a Rolls Royce Dart engine, used in the airline’s Friendship aircraft, and a quarter scale model of a JTBD Turbofan engine. A special attraction for children is the animal nursery, which was a great success when it was introduced for the first time at last year’s show. As! well as the many baby animals and birds, there is entertainment by the singer Neville Barrie.

Other features of the show over the next two days will be a riding display by the Olympic golf medallist, Mark Todd, and a dressage display by two experienced riders, Mrs Sally FieldDodgson and Miss Jennifer Stobart. New Zealand’s top shearers will take part in competitions and there will be polo games. The New Zealand Army Band and the St Andrew’s College Pipe Band will take part in the ring programme. Several special guests will attend the show today arid tomorrow. Today the United States Ambassador, Mr Monroe Brown, and the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Mr Terence O’Leary,, will attend. Tomorrow, members of the delegation from the Gansu province in China, who are visiting Christchurch this week, will visit the show. Catering for the thou-

sands of people who attend the show is a major undertaking. One caravan expected to sell 3000 bags of candyfloss during the three days. Five hundred dozen pies and 18,000 litres of one soft drink have been supplied. P. Burke and Co., which caters for the members’ meals wil use 300 kg of potatoes, 140 kg of lettuce, 56kg of tomatoes, 50kg of ham and silverside, 1000 pieces of fish and 400 pieces of chicken.

Many parties of primary school children attended the show yesterday. The League of Mothers, which runs a tent for lost children, dealt with 14 lost children during the day.

The St John Ambulance was busy dealing with minor cuts, bruises and beestings, but reported no serious accidents.