International visitors give impetus to Canterbury Show

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 21

International visitors give impetus to Canterbury Show

American and Japanese tourists gave an international flavour to the second day of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show at the Addington Show Grounds yesterday.

“We do not have anything like this back home. It is just great,” said an elderly American from Oklahoma, whose white stetson and cowboy boots made him a distinctive figure among the übiquitous sports jackets and twill trousers of Canterbury’s rural show-goers. The Japanese visitors showed particular interest in the livestock entries, marvelling at the feel of a sheep’s wool. In spite of threatening cloud for much of the day, and a chill north-easterly wind during the afternoon, no rain fell and there was again an excellent attendance at the show. There was no sign of preBudget worries in “sideshow alley,” with a high occupancy rate on the various rides and even a few adults

being cajoled into trying the “lucky dip”: "Come on now, folks. It is only 50 cents. Noone is a loser!” For excitement and close competition, nothing at the show yesterday could compete with the shearing championships, where a brisk and informative commentator allowed even “townies” to know exactly what was going on. There has probably never been a bigger range of farm machinery on display at the show, from headers to “Tucker Pot” offal cookers, which attracted a lot of interest from farmers, possibly because sausages were being cooked on them and handed round by hostesses. Why not cook the offal for the dogs and have a barbecue at the same time?, seemed to be the idea.

The prize for the best display of agricultural machinery went to C. B. Norwood, Ltd.

years ago,” said a spokesman for the International Harvester Corporation. “We get a lot of inquiries, and some orders may be firmed up later. Anyway, it keeps the company’s name on the map,” he said. A highlight of the events in the show ring yesterday was the cattle parade, led by the St Andrew’s College Highland Pipe Band.

Lakeside Fern is believed to be the only Ayrshire to have achieved all three honours.

A Skyline Garages “village” that took about 10 days to set up deservedly won the price for the best non-farming display. Although there is literally millions of dollars worth of agricultural machinery on display, very few firm orders are actually taken during the show, according to spokesmen for farm machinery companies. These days, the sophisticated farm machinery displays, some in their own gaily coloured marquees, are really an expensive and time consuming public relations exercise.

The Student Job Search scheme took the opportunity of setting up its caravan at the show, and it seems that some of them might find work on the land as a result.

“Quite a few farmers have approached us and said that they could do with a hand after Christmas,” said a spokesman. St John Ambulance personnel had a quiet day at the show yesterday, one of the most serious ailments being blisters, “from mothers and kids coming to the show in new shoes.”

One of the more successful members of the cattle species was the champion Ayrshire cow, Legg and Company’s Lakeside Fern. Born in 1976, Lakeside Fern was the North Island champion in 1980-81. She was sold for a breed record of $9200 before becoming champion at the Royal A. and P. show in Christchurch in 1982, and the South Island champion this year.

“The days when farmers came to the show to spend a lot of money went 15 to 20

A high point at the show today will be a display by the popular New Zealand Army Band at 2.40 p.m.