CHAMPION FAT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 10, 13 January 1932, Page 3

CHAMPION FAT

A SPLENDID STEER

SMITHFIELD GLUB : SHOW

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, lOtfr December. New Zealand farmers will be interested-' to learn that Mr. J. J, Cridlan,' of Sfa^se-. more Park, Gloucester, one- -of the^ party! o£ Sritish, farmers who went out in i 93« on a visit, has had splendid; success at th«! Smithfield Club Show;'now''in progress at| Islington. On his Gloucester.'iestate:,!'hJ established a herd ' of. Aberdeen "Angus! cattle ou the best strains and choicest-pedi* grees in Scotland. ■, -.-•. ;■■■■■.-.•: For the seventh-time iii his career, Mr.j Cridluu has Avon the -London champion*' ship, and for the second time since 1929 h»i has carried ojt-the. triple crown—the su-<j preme championships at Norwich,-Binning"*' ham, and London, in the same season. The agricultural, correspondent v ofc thai "Daily' Telegraph" relates:— V"- '.r, ■- "It was left:to'lEe;flexible fingers off one of. England's most famous butchers^i Mr. F. Norman Bocdck, to decide tha} cattle championship, at,.the.'. Smithfieldj Club Show at Islington yesterday. After; he had run his hands ovet the Tjddy pieces* of the two/finalists; Mr. J. J. Cridlan's first*"' cross blue-grey steer,.Butler 2nd of Maise-j more, and; Sir George Macpherson Grant's) purebred Aberdeen-Angus heifer, Evona of: Ballindalloch, he made them -walk down?) the main aisle of the. Agricultural Hall. Still undecided,; for they; each had pleasedJ him in their movements, he handled them! once more, and. found that the steer more! than excelled at his tailpiece.-- There-he found ever so much more beef t6"th»J square inch, and beef of a quality ;'fon which' a butcher will always pay aii enhanced price." ' ' •-•.■-■•... .. ; : ~ It is remarkable that each time -MrJ Cridlan has won a.London championEhijM a referee has had to be called in. ' ' "A WONDERFUL BEAST." Air.' Fi'Nlßocock told me laieevemngrf that Mr. Cridlan's steer was a wonderful beast, weight-for-age, and was much su-l perior to the reserve at the tail-end. When/ the Maisem ore farmer-breeder last won. theY London title his runner-up was also a pure-* bred Angus heifer from the herd of Sir* George Grant. ;i■ ■: ■ ... -• Mr. Cridlan's steer at 23 months 5 day* scaled llcwt 21b,. as compared, mtKl3cwtj 3qr 181b.at 2 years 11 months recorded bfi .' Sir George Grant's heifer. 'She was re^j serve-supreme champion^at the Edinburgh Show last week, and Mr. Cridlan's steeni was absolute champion at Norwich a fort-! night ago, since which he has made weight*! despite a visit to Birmingham in between J In the Midland city He was beaten for thai crossbred .championship by Sir Gomerl Berry's Bluebird 2nd,, a blue^grey, whic]»i was yesterday .defeated by Butler, 2nd for' the crossbred cup. ': . While Sir George grant's Angus heifer,* iivona, boasts all the grace of her breed,] the Maisemore steer is' symmetrical, de-ri spite his great (weight, and is (Juite one of! the best chambions the Smithfield" Clul>s Show has had.-- .: ..V When Mr. Cridlan-.went intothe ring toi.' congratulate his herdsjnan, he was received! with a round of cheering from hundreds' of breeders and butchers, unanimous that; the referee's decision was-a correct oneAs well as the champion plate of 10»i guineas, Mr. Cridlan's steer took the! King's challenge cup for the best animal] bred by the exhibitor, ,and for fthjs . Sii-, Geoi-ge. Grant's heifer was" reserve. Butler*! 2nd also won 'two other cups, for', steere above 15 months and under two; years and for steers of all ages. His re-' serve for each of these trophies was Sir^ Kdnnmd Tindtoy^s Aberdeen-Angus steer. 1 Prince Procis,- second in-Edinburgh last! week. This 23-inonths-old exhibit .weighed''l llewt 3qr 121b; and was the cause of -th*i downfall of the Birmingham champion.] Mr. Cridlan's Blackfriar of: Maisemore^'i which could only secure third in his class,! Scottish critics declared that, the ■ Angu»'< heifers, apart from the, Ballindalloch re-{ serve champion, were not as good as they' have been in-other-years,.but^the^steer'»' made.'a Jemarkalile.'dftplhy. '•.' ":-":"• •