PRIZE LAMBS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 50, 28 February 1931, Page 6

PRIZE LAMBS

TEST OF THE MARKET,

SUCCESS AT SMITHFIELD

I By the last English mail the New "Zenland Meat Producers' Board has received a report from its London manager regarding the display and judging on Smithfield market of the lambs ex the Seventh Koyul Show, held in' Hawkes Bay in October last. The board offers annually' special prizes at the Royal Agricultural Show for, fat lambs most suitable for our Dominion's export trade and the type rao'st desired to keep up our reputation on the London market. The lambs are judged alive on. the showground,- and prizes are awarded by the Meat Board for the best pens. All the lambs entered in this class aru then lii led and shipped Home'to" tha board's London manager, who arranges * special display of them on the Smithfield market. The quality of the carcasses ig judged by three judges appointed • by tha Imported Meat Trade Association, Incorporated, and further .prizes for the best lot of three carcasses as judged on Smithfield are also awarded by. the. board. This year the winning pens were aY follows:— . • - ' •' Judged alive on Showground-.—First prize, Lot No. 1233, A. Peters, Daiinevirke, £15. Second prize, Lot No. 1253, D. Collis, Kairanga, £10. Third prize, Lot No. 1243, A. Struthers, Hastings, £5. Result o£ Award on Smithfield Market.— First prize, Lot. No. 1240, W. K. Maxwell, Hastings, £15. Second prize, .Lot.-'No. 1253, D. Collis, Kairanga, £10. Third prize, Lot No. 1241, W. R. Maxwell, Hastings, .£5. ■ . N ••■■.; The board's London' manager - reports that the 72 lambs entered: in this clasa were displayed on the stall of Messrs. Weddell and Compay on Smithfield. mar" ket on the 22nd December, 19;i0, and attracted a great deal of attention. Ths High Commissioner for New Zealand and Lady Wilford attended, and expressed their, satisfaction at the splendid showmade. The judges were very pleased with, the whole exhibit, and they were particularly pleased with the prize pens, which, were light in weight and therefore very suitable for the butchers' trade. Theea particular lambs were perhaps not quite so showy as other Royal Show lambs,, but they were ideal lambs from the butcher* point of view. Most of them showed the Down characteristic, which is so much thought of on Smithfield. The lambs .were purchased by Messrs. Harrods', Pulham and Sons, Lyons, Ltd., Thompson and Co., and W. White. Altogether the display created a great deal of" interest'oa Smithfield. The report of "the judges-.ap-pointed by the Imported Meat Trade Association, Incorporated, Messrs. W. Johnson, D. Messent, and G. Goodchild, isU» follows:— :>■ "The judges thought it was a truly remarkable exhibit for quality, considering the very early date in the year on which the Show was held, and in consideration of the lightness of the exhibit as a whole. Th% pens are described in detail below. The judges were, however, anxious. , to stress their pleasure at .finding the laniba which took- their eye as outstanding and deserving of the prizes to be-so light, and, therefore, so suitable for the trade.- :There have been, perhaps, showier lambs .on Smithfield, but they have been heavier and more wasteful—this particular Show, .and the winners in particular, were -ideal lambs from the butchers' point. of view. They show the Down characteristic to perfection, and there is not a fractiori>oi waste in, the prize .carcasses." . -.. The judges also spoke, in the--highest terms of the dressing and the condition of the carcasses as shown on Smithfield, indicating the greatest care E^nd good workmanship all along the Hue.' ' ' '. . ;'.;: First Prize, Pen No. 1240.--Three- perfect little, lambs, averaging 27' 2-3 rd lbs; beautiful in quality, most, evenly matched, covered to perfection in spite,of-tha lightness of the weight, and showing perfect finish both inside and outside the carcasses, with very little waste fat nor caul fat on the bustle. There1 was' no difficulty in picking out this pen, it was outstanding in every respect. • ■■•■■•• . ■<;,- ---' Second Prize, P.ijiv ■Np'.'.KM—Three wellbalanced lambs, 33 2-3 rd lbs average; Beautifully finished, nicely covered, just a trine not so perfect in quality and appearance as the first pen, but although the third heaviest lot in the Show these lambs were undoubtedly worthy of .their place as being superior to any other ; lofc except thpss mentioned above. . ,'.,,, ' > Third Pxize, Pen No. 1241.—There was a good deal of difficulty in picking out thi« third prize from Pens 1241 and 1261 both o£ which were commended. 'lhe lambs were not so well balanced, one was jiist a little bit plain on the leg, and. ona slightly heavier than the others. ■ They were beautiful. quality lambs, however. :arerasing 32 l-31b. All three lambs could ba described as beautiful lambs, well up ;jn the legs and even covered,- showing nica quality. • , '