GORE SHOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 17

GORE SHOW

GOOD QUALITY SHEEP STOCK IN ATTRACTIVE CONDITION CATTLE SECTIONS WELL FILLED The fifty-sixth annual show of the Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Association was opened yesterday in typically bright and warm Southland weather. Eastern District breeders of cattle and sheep rallied to the support of the association in commendable style, and the result was a good allround exhibition, more nearly representative of the resources of the province than some of the larger Otago shows held this year. Sheep and cattle sections were judged yesterday and the horse sections, both heavy and light, will be the features of to-day's programme. CATTLE The cattle sections at the Gore Show were probably better than any seen at South Island shows this year. This was mainly the result of seasonal conditions. Southland has not had the best of springs or summers, but conditions have been much better than those that have prevailed further north. The result is that Southland cattle display more bloom and condition than most South Island cattle have done this year, and this has made the general appearance of cattle displays better than judges have been accustomed to even as far north as Christchurch. All the main dairy breeds were well represented yesterday. SHORTHORNS Messrs Joseph Moseley and Sons (Clydevale) showed a string of their polled beef Shorthorns, which greatly impressed the judge by their uniformity of type, breed character and generally attractive appearance. The female championship was won by a very stylish little two-year-old heifer one of the best animals in the entry and a typical beef sort, stocky and nuggety in build, with beautifully even fleshing. The champion bull was another good breeder's animal, with scale and substance and plenty of character. These polled cattle have been the subject of general interest at several shows already this season, and should commend themselves to beef growers generally as good doers and excellent breeders. In the Milking Shorthorn classes competition was confined to Messrs J. C. Keir (Te Tipua) and C. R. Keir ( Charlton) and Keir Bros. (Charlton). The section was a fairly good one, and the three breeders secured a share of the prize money. Mr J. L. Keir won the female championship with a typey looking dry cow of good quality and Mr C. R. Keir took the reserve ribbon with the second prize dry cow, also a useful-looking matron. The male championship went to Messrs Keir Bros, with a stylish and well-set-up two-year-old with a most attractive head. The reserve award for bulls was won by Mr C. R. Keir's first prize mature bull. Mr C. R. Keir showed a fine bunch of young heifers, and also did well in the mature cow classes, but he was not so successful in the bull classes, which, however, were very small. Mr J. L. Keir won the trophy for the best breeders' group of five animals, and Mr C. R. Keir showed the best yearling heifer with butterfat backing. AYRSHIRES Since the withdrawal from the show ring of the well-known Seaward Downs and Menzie's Ferry studs of the Weir family the Ayrshire section has deteriorated very greatly at the Gore Show, but this year Mrs A. Wilson (Tapanui) showed a very good lot of typical cattle with both breeding and dairy quality to commend them. The lack of competition was regrettable, but the judge had no hesitation in making awards in all the classes in which the Tapanui cattle were entered. Mrs Wilson's Stock were in generally good order which emphasised the fact that the far south districts of Otago. although the season has not been the best, have not been as harshly treated as some of the northern districts. Mrs Wilson took championship ribbons as well as class awards. The judge described the cattle as a whole as fit to travel anywhere in any competition in New Zealand. JERSEYS A very fair showing of Jerseys included some outstandingly good animals, and for the most part the stock were well brought out. In one or two instances evidence of lean months could be discerned in the condition of the cattle, but the standard of breeding was good. The championship in the female classes was won.by Mr A. McFadyen's (Kamahi) Forest Vale Fancy," a mature matron with a nice topline, a good vessel and an attractive head. The reserve championship was annexed by Messrs James Pullar and Sons (Crookston) with Tokorangi Aletta, a dry cow of good quality, The Crookston breeders also won the bull championship with Ku Ku Sybil's Emperor, a well-made sire full of substance and distinguished by a gaily attractive carriage. The reserve champion was Mr A. McFadyen's Tokorangi Snowfall, an attractive-looking animal but less impressive in the head than the champion. These two exhibitors dominated the section, the only other prize-winners being Mr J. A. Johnston (Waikaka) and Mr J. P. Thayer (Maitland). who secured a few seconds and thirds. Messrs Pullar and Sons showed the pick of the heifers and young bulls. Mr McFadyen followed him very closely, however, and included among his best stock one or two strikingly well-bred cows with strong dairy qualities. Mr McFadyen secured five firsts and Messrs Pullar and Sons eight. FRIESIANS Two or three breeders gave an exceptionally good account of themselves in a Friesian section that was remarkable for dairy quality and breed character. The champions in both sexes were fine types, and the general run of cattle was comparable with the standard of the best Waikato and Taranaki herds. Messrs W. Y. Dickie and Sons took the championship for cows with Gainhill Lorna Dome, a fine typa of dry cow. Their Plantation Cremona Princess Sylvia, a wet cow of great yuality, was reserve champion The male championship went to Mr R. R. Dodd's (Charlton) Rosevale King Sylvia Regina Posch. an outstanding stamp of aged sire full of character *nd breeding. Messrs W. Y. Dickie and Sons reserve champion bull was another very good breeding type, but he lacked the character of the champion. Class honours were fairly evenly divided between Messrs W. Y. Dickie and Sons and R. H. Dickie. Mr R. H. Dickie was particularly prominent in the heifer classes, and Messrs W. Y. Dickie and Sons did well in the young bull classes and also in the breeders' group and progeny classes. It was an excellent display of the breed, and the cattle were belter brought out than most groups of dairy cattle seen at the recent Otago shows. At the same time it was one of the best displays of the black and white breed seen south of the Waitaki Ptiver this season. CROSSBREDS Messrs W. Y. Dickie and Sons (Ferndale) and R. H. Dickie (Tuturau) were the most prominent exhibitor. 3 in a strong crossbred dairy section, and exhibited some fine types of grade milkers. Messrs Thomas Galletly (East Gore), Raymond Woods (Tuturau). and Albert Green (East Gore) were also prize-winners. Mr R. H. Dickie won the special trophy for the best dairy cow in the section. The fat cattle section was the poorest for years, only two fat steers being entered by Mr T. Pryde (Croydon). It is a pity that the exhibition of this class of stock has disappeared from most shows, even, as is the case with regard to the Eastern districts of Southland, in localities where good beef is produced in large quantities.

SHEEP The sheep sections at the Gore Show were, on U)e whole, better than any in the South Island this year, with the possible exception of the Canterbury Metropolitan Show at Christchurch. Actually Southland looks better to-day than any other part of the east coast of the South Island, and although some of the Eastern District sheep show signs of a dry season, the majority were brought out yesterday in great show order. The further south they came from the more they impressed Ihe judges. At least this year's Gore Show conveyed the impression that Southland breeders ar« not yet satisfied with the standard of quality in their sheep. That standard is undoubtedly being steadily improved. BORDER LEIC ESTERS Messrs W. Kennedy and Son (Otautau) had a regular field day with their Border Leicesters. Even in the natural condition classes the Otautau breeders repeated their successes, and showed good quality typical Border sheep. Both championships went to Messrs Kennedy and Son with good aged sheep, and in the open classes they won all but one of the red tickets. This odd first prize was won by Mr J. A. Edwards (Otikerania), who was generally a good second to Otautau breeders). In the natural condition classes Mr James Grant (Otautau) was a factor to be reckoned with, and Mr Edwards and Messrs Kennedy and Son had to concede him some major awards ROMNEI MARSH Interest in the Romney Marsh section was intensified by the fact that the South Island championships were decided in conjunction with the local awards. Messrs J. Mosley and Sons (Clydevale) made a great impression on the judges with a fine selection from their well-known Riverslea Stud. They won the ram championship with a beautifully-woolled, bigframed aged sire, and took South Island honours with it. The ewo championship and the South Island ribbon were won by Mr David Robertson (Waikoikoi) with an attrac tive type of aged ewe. good in wool and exceptional in carcass Although there was keen competition from South Canterbury and Southland, the South Otago breeders Messrs Mosley and Sons and David Robertson took most of the prize money Honours were definitely with the Clydevale stud, whose sheep were in almost impeccable show condition. In the natural conditioned classes Messrs W. G. Ladbrook (Gore) and James Grand (Otautau) were also in the running and took several prizes, but this section, too. was dominated by the Clydevale and Waikoikoi breeders. Messrs Joseph Mosley and Sons are to be congratulated on one of the finest showings of the breed seen in the South Island this year. Their display was a striking illustration of what the expectation of competition can impel breeders to accomplish. SOUTHDOWNS It is some years since better competition in the Southdown section was seen at a Gore show. And with wether competition there was better quality. Entries were drawn from as far afield as Waimate and Maheno. The result was one of the finest displays of the Down breed that the Eastern Districts have ever seen. The Punchbowl stud of Mr H. J. Andrew (Maheno) has a reputation which only outstanding quality can upset, and it was not surprising that, having sent a representative consignment to Southland, his sheep should not take a prominent part in the show. Mr Andrew won both championships, the male ribbon with a beautifully typical aged ram, manv times a champion, and the female ribbon with a mature ewe whose showring record is a credit to even so well-known a stud a' that which carries Mr Andrew's Punchbowl brand. But championships alone were not sufficient for so keen a specialist in championships as Mr Andrew. In every class in which he was represented he took the red ticket, and frequently he made assurance doubly sure by taking second prize as well. His sheep were well worth the closest study by that increasing section of the fat lamb raising community who have faith in the Southdown as a factor in fat lamb production. Mr Alan Grant (Waimate), 'At A. W. Pannet (Clinton), and the Southland Frozen Meat Company (Makarewa) also contributed good entries of prizewinning sheep to the general display, but even in the natural condition classes Mr Andrew was also the chief prize-winner in those classes in which he participated, a fact which demonstrates beyond all doubt that his sheep and his quality are not entirely dependent on the nursing and coddling which are the lot of so many purely stud sheen. In the natural conditioned classes Messrs E. F. Pannett (Clydevale). W. G. Ladbrook (Gore) and the Southland Frozen Meat Company were also the winners of well-deserved awards. OTHER DOWN CREEDS Only small showings were made of Shropshire and Ryeland Down breeds, but the sheep were generally good types, and then show condition was creditable. Messrs W. Kennedy and Son (Otautau) had things all to themselves in the Shropshire section, but inasmuch as they showed well-bred, typical sheep, they were fully entitled to the recognition accorded them by the judge. The Shropshire undoubtedly has a future in southern fat lamb raising, despite declared disappointments, and the exhibition of attractive virile types such as those shown by Messrs Kennedy and Son is all to the good, The Ryeland section, which might have been very much better, was made up of a single entry from Mr H. J. Andrew's (Maheno) Punchbowl Stud. It was a ram hogget, true to type and well bred: but looking at these pens the question arose involuntarily. "Where are Messrs Evans Bros. (Longbush) ? " The competition was most disappointing in view of the presence of an outside exhibitor. CORRIEDALES Mr H. P. Mclntyre (Maitland), morp than anyone else, has upheld the Corriedale banner in Southland fov many years, and his annual displays of this useful dual-purpose sheep are yearly features of the main Southland shows. This year he was represented by an excellent showing, which was notable for a strong representation of outstandingly good ram hoggets, all of which reproduced the best characteristics of a breed whose special merits have never yet been fully recognised in the districts to the south of the Waitaki River. Mr Mclntyre secured all the available championships, as well as the class awards, and should have a feeling of satisfaction with regard to a display of sheep which are too generally regarded as specifically high-country types. That they can and will adapt themselves to the rolling down country of Southland is strikingly emphasised by Mr Mclntyre's annual displays CROSSBRED SHEEP The entry in the crossbred sheep section was outstanding. The judge said he had never judged better crossbred sheep, or even seen better at any show. He had seen better entries, but for quality and character in the wool these were a credit to their breeders. There was not a poor class in the lot, either in the strong-wool classes or in the fine-woolled section. In one of the ewe hogget classes the judge had to disqualify one entry because it was too strona for the class. All round, the wool was in wonderfully good condition and showed plenty of colour and character. Most of the sheep were well grown. Some of the ewes with lambs at foot were showing the effects of the dry season, bm. apart from carrying less condition, made up a strong class. The principal prize winners were Messrs Fleming Bros. (Crookston). who showed a beautifully even bunch of quality sheep. Mrs L. Robertson and Sons (Conical Hills) were also prominent, and others who figured in ihe prize list were Messrs Morrison Bros (Waikaka Valley), W. G. McKay (Otama). and John Burnett (Conical Hills) FAT LAMBS ! There was a fine showing of fat lambs, and competition was keen in most classes. Some of the lambs showed the effects of a dry season, but the majority were in prime condition, well grown and beautifully even. The older lambs seemed to have lost some

of their bloom, but for the most part the entries were typical of the best, the district has produced in the past. It was noticeable that one or two familiar names were missing from the catalogue in this section this year, but their places had been taken by others. Messrs J. Stewart (Pyramid), R. T. Cross (Knapdale), A. D. Dickie (Croydon), R. K. Dodds (Charlton), Andrew Smith (Heriot), S. Lynch (Riversdale), Andrew Dickson (Wendon), and Mrs J. C. Martin (Gore) were the principal prize winners. The display on the whole, though good, was not up to the standard seen at the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club's show at Milton on Saturday, which was without question the best seen at any show in Otago this year. It might have been expected that the fat lambs at Gore would surpass those at the northern centre on account of the better season experienced in the south, but such was not the case.