The Reporter.

Southern Cross, Volume 10, Issue 19, 9 August 1902, Page 12

The Reporter.

SOUTHLAND CHAMPION PLOUGHING MATCH.

A paddock marching with the railway, close to Brsnxholm railway siding, on the farm of Mr W. Blakie, was the scene of the latest of the long series of contests carried out under the auspices of the Southland Champion Ploughing Match Association. The weather on Wednesday was of the pleasantest, and the countryside looked very inviting to the crowd of citizens and settlers who by rail, buggy, horse and bicycle, made their way to the trysting spot. There was a splendid turn-out of ploughmen and horses, and under the skilful generalship of that prince of organisers, Mr J. A. Mitchell (Secretary) the last man was finished early “in the afternoon -in marked contrast to bygone days, when the light of matches, candle, or lantern was sometimes needed to read the prize-list. While the visitors were pleasantly engaged in watching, first the Birch wood hounds andthen the fortunes and misfortunes of the riders in the hurdle and high-jumping, the judges were summing up the merits apd demerits of the ploughing, and it was certainly no easy task that fell to the lot of Messrs W. Hamilton (Drummond), J. Brown (Isla Bank) und W. Clark (Woodlands.) Mr Mitchell having secured three cheers for the judges beforehand, read out the prize-list to a chorus of “ well done’s !” and “ hear hears !” with an occasional peal of laughter, and before five o’clock the match was over, and people speeding homewards. Subjoined is a list of the awards ; Class A. —Champion double furrow : First prize £7 10s, and d.f. plough, gift of Messrs Reid and Gray ; second, £5 ; third, £4; fourth, £3; fifth, £2 ; sixth, £l. Ploughman Owner Maker IW. Gray Alex. Gray Reid & Gray 2 D. Hardic Kerr Bros. do 3 C. Gray, jnr Alex. Gray do 4 M. Gray Wm. Gray & Sons do 5 Wm. Fraser Self do 6W. T. James Self do The other competitors were —W. A. Young, J. R. Hamilton, R. Smith, George Cuahnie, Philip Rodgers, Andrew Lindsay, Chas., Christie, Robert Patterson and Hugh Smith. Best break, W, Gray ; best finish, D. Hardie ; straightest ploughing, W. T. James; best ins and outs, W. Young.

1 The following is the list of champions : Entries. 1883 *Thomas Hannah ... 34 1884 Robert Smith ... 40 1885 Hannah ... 32 1886 John Hamilton ... 31 1887 Charles King ... 28 1888 Allan Galt ... 25 1889 Thos. Docherty ... 23 1890 Harry King ... 22 1891 E. Patterron ... 27 1892 W. Allison ... 26 1893 D. McFarlane ... 19 1894 fW. A. Young ... 22 1895 D. Mo Far lane ... 25 1896 John King ... 41 1897 W. A. Gray ... 35 1898 W. G. Ladbrook ... 26 1899 Peter McDermid ... 34 1900 Malcolm Gray ... 27 1901 Colin Gray, jnr ... 22 1902 Wm. Gray ... 28 * Competed in swing plough class, f Competed in Class B, double furrow. Class B, for ploughmen who havs never gained a prize in senior class, (4 entries) —First prize, £5 ; second £3, third £2. Ploughman Owner Maker IH. S. Irving J. C. Irving, Reid & Gray 2 J. Docherty C. Gray do 3 T. Fahey Walter Blakie do The only other competitor was John Adams. Best break, J. Docherty; best finish, H. S. Irving ; straightest ploughing, H. S. Irving ; best ins and outs, J. Adams. Class C, for youths under 18 (2 entries) Ist prize, £3 ; 2nd £2. Ploughman Owner Maker 1 James Linton Mrs Linton Gardiner & Co. 2 Alex. Gray, jnr Alex. Gray Reid & Gray These were the only two competitors. Best break, J. Linton ; best finish, A. Gray; straightest ploughing, J. Linton ; best ins and outs, J. Linton. Class D, single furrow, with or without wheels, (5 entries) Ist prize, £4 ; 2nd, £3 ; 3rd, £2. Ploughman Owner Maker 1 D. SToble W. S. Grieve Reid & Gray 2 Dan McCallum Self do 3 Duncan McCallum D. McCallum do The other competitors were Robert Murray and Jas. Mclntosh. Best break, Dan McCallum ; best finish, R. Murray ; straightest ploughing, Dan McCallum ; best ins and outs, Duncan McCallum. Each of the above mentioned winners also secured special prizes. Other special prizes were awarded as follows : Champion, William A, Gray, Wallacetown, who takes the President’s medal; first off the field with a prize, Dan McCallum ; best work done with least gear on plough, R. Patterson ; oldest ploughman, R. Patterson ; youngest ploughman, Duucan McCallum ; ploughman with largest family, J. Mclntosh ; youngest married ploughman, W. A. Gray; best three-horse team, W. Blakie ; best groomed three-horse team, A. Lindsay ; best two-horse team, D. Noble ; best groomed team of two, Duncan McCallum ; best-kept harness, A. Lindsay ; tidiest turnout, M. Gray ; ploughmen from greatest distance, H. and R. Smith ; best work witb locally-made plough, R. Patterson ; best-kept horses in daily work, Duncan McCallum ; oldest ploughman in class A, W. Fraser; best harness, M. Gray. The horse - jumping competition resulted as follows : Over three jumps ; prizes, £3, £2, and £1 —Mr F. Moore’s Manazona, 1 ; Mr D. Mclvor’s Waitaki, 2 ; Mr W. J. Cowie’s Otapiri, 3. First horse takes special prize of 20s, gift of Mr Robert Russell. High jumping ; prizes, £2 10s and £L 10s —Mr D. Mclvor’s Waitaki (sft), 1; Mr Swale’s Fright, 2. First horse takes special prize of 10s from Mr Len. Smith. The jumping was carried out under the able supervision of Messrs W. Hawke, J. Galt, and R. Russell.