FAT LAMBS

Southland Times, Issue 22203, 21 December 1933, Page 8

FAT LAMBS

CHALLENGE SHIELD ENTRIES KILLED AT MAKAREWA. Farmers, representatives of mercantile firms and others interested were present in large numbers at the Makarewa freezing works yesterday when the entries of fat lambs, for the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board’s challenge shield inter-provincial competition were killed. The task of the judge, Mr W. Falconer, the works manager, was to decide, out of 126 entries, the most suitable 45 lambs to represent the Southland province in the competition, which will be finally decided in London. Before killing, the lambs were judged alive for prizes awarded by the Southland A. and P. Association which controls the competition in Southland. The conditions of the competition provide that the lambs must be: (1) Long-woolled or (2) the progeny of a Down or a long-woolled ram crossed with a long-woolled ewe, or a Corriedale ewe, or a long-woolled Merino cross ewe. Yesterday five pens were disqualified for not complying with these conditions. Another rule allows one farmer to enter only two pens and seven pens were disqualified because, in the opinion of the committee, the entries were duplicated. Both judges, Mr Falconer, who judged the carcasses, and Mr Walter Murray, of Balclutha, who judged the live lambs, praised the quality of the exhibits, terming them as practically unbeatable. A remarkable feature of the competition was the fact that for the first time the first and second placed competitors in the live and carcass classes were identical, being Mr George Lowe, of Otautau, and Mr William Swale, of Limehills. Complete arrangements for the afternoon had been made by the management and staff of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, at whose works the competition was held, under the rule that it is held alternatively at Makarew and Ocean Beach. The Awards.

The awards in the competition for live lambs were as follows:— George Lowe, Otautau 1 William Swale, Limehills 2 J. A. Bruce, Ryal Bush 3 E. Rabbidge, Roslyn Bush 4 Interviewed at the conclusion of his work, the judge said the lambs made a wonderful show and he had never seen anything to equal them. The first prize pen of lambs was of splendid shape, even in weight and carried meat all over. The second pen comprised three very nice lambs, which he predicted would run the winners close when killed. The lambs in the third placed pen were not so evenly matched, one being a bit weaker in shape than the other two, but they were of good quality. The fourth pen consisted of good lambs, but one was not so good on the shoulder or on width of carcass as the other two. After the lambs had been killed and placed on the hooks the placings for the Frozen Meat Company’s prizes were as follows:— George Lowe, Otautau 1 William Swale, Limehills 2 E. A. Scott, Wrights Bush 3 Sir William Hunt, Broughton Bush 4

Mr Falconer said the whole entry comprised a very good class and he would have the hardest part to do in picking out the 15 entries to go to London. He had attempted to pick out 45 lambs of grade 11, under 361 b. in weight, and he had been successful in that. Several entered pens consisted of two really good lambs and one not so good. The four placed pens were an outstanding lot. A point he wished tc mention was the excellent judgment of Mr Murray, whose third placing had been altered because of bad colouring, but Mr Murray was unable to see that when the lamb was alive.

After afternoon tea had been served and the judging had been completed, the manager of the company, Mr A. Derbie, extended a welcome to all present and expressed pleasure at their large numbers. The company was glad to welcome visitors at all times, he said, and was pleased to see the response that day to their invitations. That considerable interest was taken in the competition was evidenced by the fact that visitors were present from far and near, representing the farming community, mercantile firms and sister freezing works. Mr Derbie concluded by commending the work of those conducting the competition. An Important Competition. The president of the Southland A. & P. Association, Mr W. R. Ronald, said he was delighted with the response to the competition. He knew from the interest taken that the competition had come to fill a very important place and personally he could not stress enough how important it was. This was the third occasion on which Southland had entered and it had won the shield since its inception. He had every hope that the province would maintain the quality of its lambs and win again. Competent judges had said the competition was putting Southland on the map as far as the trade was concerned. In conclusion, he desired to thank the directors and staff of the company for their co-operation, Mr Falconer for his help and last of all, Mr D. Galbraith, who had been indefatigable. The chairman of directors of the company, Mr John Gilkison, said he knew nothing calculated to advertize the province better than this competition. In Tuesday morning’s paper he had noticed that Southland brands were quoted higher than those of Canterbury on the London market. This year Southland might be run closer in the competition by Canterbury, which had had a better season, but he was still confident. Thanks were due to the freezing buyers, who had gone out and stimulated interest in the competition and had drafted for farmers. The freezing season had opened auspiciously; he had never seen such . weight early in the season. That proved they were getting a better class of lamb in the province. This would be shown in the financial returns, and when the farmers knew they could get early lambs the works would have to be opened early in December. This year the early opening had not been availed of as much as it should have been, and that meant that there would be a rush in January and lambs might have to be held over. That could have been avoided. He desired to congratulate Mr Lowe, whom he termed one of Southland’s best fat lamb producers, on his success.