ROYAL SHOW DATES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1925, Page 13

ROYAL SHOW DATES

effect on district fixtures. By TELEcnAjH— special CobbXsPonDENt. Maslcrton, November 19. The arrangement of ■ dates for last year and during the present season whereby the Royal Show follows various district shows, both in the North and South Islands, was recently the subject of considerable comment by agricultural and pastoral association officials, and the consensus of published opinion was that the Royal Show was a decided handicap to district fixtures, in that the majority of breeders held back their choicest stock so that they might not lose their bloom in travelling to minor fixtures, and might have an unprejudiced chance for the highest honours. The decrease in entries in some of the stock classes at both the Carterton and Manawatu Shpws was credited to this cause, and it was even suggested in some quarters that the Royal Show should be the first engagement for the »seasou, leaving the provincial shows with an uninterrupted run.

These remarks were brought before Sir. W. Perry, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, and he was 'asked to express an opinion. “The Royal Society depends on the A. and I’, associations and breed xsocieties to keep the Royal SI /z going,” said Mr. Perry, “and naturally we do not want to do anything that will injure them in the slightest way._ It Jias been, however, a most difficult question, for the only two shows so far held have been controlled by metropolitan associations, and were made to fit in with their usual dates.” It had been suggested, he said, that when next year’s Royal Show is held at z'.uckland, Palmerston should hold their show a week later, providing, of course, that Wanganui agrees to postpone their show for a further week, and follow Palmerston North. He did not think that there was a possibility of holding the Royal as the first show of the season, certainly not earlier than Hastings, as stock would not be in anything like show condition. As time went on only the higher class of stock would go to the Royal shows, leaving a large field of top-notch purebreds still available for district shows, but this would take time. An attempt would be made this year, he said, to endeavour to arrange’dates that would not conflict with any other regular show dates.