A. &. P. ASSOCIATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 28 August 1914, Page 8

A. &. P. ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of- the Programme Com- i mittee was held on Thursday, and it was , resolved not to cut down the prize! money-. The schedule and prize list will i be practically identical with last year's, . as the committee have decided not to include any of the proposed new classes. Many of the donors of special prizes have renewed their offers and the committee trust that those who have not yet done so will again come forward this year. in regard to the classes for thoroughbreds an alteration has been made to allow unregistered thoroughbreds to compete in the 1, 2,. and 3-year classes. Hitherto only animals registered in or eligible for the Stud Book have been allowed to enter, but it resulted in very : small competition, and it is eonsideored I that by throwing the classes open the j entries will be largely increased,- as there are numbers of good animals in this district which could be shown, and thus make an interesting and instructive class. It must be noted that the stallions and mares are not affected, the condition as to registration remaining as before. It has been laid down as a principle by the A. and P. Societies in the Old Country that it is no part of their function to cater for the thoroughbred as a racehorse, and they have therefore only provided for the breed as a source of riding and hunting horses. This alteration was made in the local Association's schedule two years ago, but was thrown out as the result of an agitation that the purity of the thoroughbred was being attacked. The agitation was really-the result of a misunderstanding, and had it been clearly understood that only the three classes for young stock and not the stallions and mares were affected, it is not likely that the innovation would have been thrown out.