FIFTY-SIXTH ANNUAL FIXTURE

Southland Times, Issue 23375, 6 December 1937, Page 14

FIFTY-SIXTH ANNUAL FIXTURE

Increased Entries In Most Sections

BREEDERS EXPERIENCE GOOD SEASON

The Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s 56th annual show will open tomorrow and with increased entries in most sections, it promises to be bigger and a greater success than ever. The association was first formed in 1882, and the 56 years of its existence have provided a record of continual growth and success —a record of which any organization might well be proud. During the last two years at least the association has been fortunate that the weather has been most favourable for its shows, encouraging the people to attend in larger numbers, and it is hoped that the sun will continue to shine tomorrow and on Wednesday.

The season has been a good one from the breeder’s point of view and although the display of stock at last year’s show was of a very high standard, it is expected that this year there will be an even finer display. With increased entries from year to year the association found it necessary to extend its grounds and erect more buildings to house the stock. Today stock owners are well catered for; up-to-date looseboxes and stalls are provided for the horses and cattle, while sheep, which are usually strongly represented, find ample room beneath the roofs of three large sheep yards. The ring was also enlarged last year.

GORE’S PROGRESS

FERTILE FARMING DISTRICT

FIRST SHOW HELD IN 1882 The town of Gore has always been an important Southland, centre since the coming of the railway in 1875. Before the railway approached Gore it was a small pioneer settlement, but building began in real earnest when the railway made its first appearance and soon a different complexion was put on the town. The fertility of the district for farming soon became recognized and the progress since made has been remarkable. The district is well supplied with rivers and is a rich one, being mostly flat land. It is equally suitable for crop growing or for stock raising, having been brought to a high standard of fertility through good farming methods. The town itself is attractive and very prosperous. The building of new shops recently has been extensive and during the last two years one street —Irk street —has been practically built up with shops of modern design. This is a good indication of the progress of the town, and it is further supported by the fact that during the last few years several streets have been extended through new blocks to make room for more new building sites. The shortage of houses has been a problem for some time and the building of flats has become increasingly popular. This, however, has not aided the position to any great extent, and it is thought that when the Government completes its building scheme in the town some relief will be found .

So little was thought of Gore’s future in the early days of the settlement that the authorities did not even think it worthy of a proper survey, but merely instructed their officials to lay off the town according to a few lines and scratches hastily drawn upon a plan in Wellington. Clearly, therefore, Gore was not

born with a silver spoon in its mouth. In spite of its initial disadvantages, however, the town began to grow, and today the end of a substantial expension is by no means in sight. GROWTH OF ASSOCIATION An important factor in the remarkable advancement of Eastern Southland has been the Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Association. The problems and interests of the man on the land have exercised the minds of those men who, by virtue of their wide experience, have been entrusted with the executive work of the association. In other capacities, too, the association finds means and opportunities to serve the farmer, for each year it enables the breeder and the agriculturist to bring forward the fruits of his labour, be it

stock or produce, to be judged on a competitive basis. The first show was held on a Tuesday (December 5, 1882) with 268 entries on Green’s paddock. The shows were held on this paddock up till 1892, but the growth of Gore and the demand for building sites made it essential that this site should be sub-divid-ed. A special meeting of the committee was held on December 30, 1891, and it was decided to purchase for £450 the property on which the show is now held. The first show on this property was held in 1892, and to meet the extra expenditure an extra charge was levied on patrons at the gate. The attendance was approximately 3700. Steady growth was maintained and in 1895 the association was favoured with record entries, the total being 801. The gate receipts on People’s Day reached the satisfactory figure of £195. Prosperity attended the association as the years passed and in 1902 it celebrated its 21st birthday. For such an auspicious occasion the entries were 758 in number, and, although the ground was ankle deep in mud, there was a splendid attendance. FIRST MOTOR-CAR The show of 1904 saw the implement manufacturers deleted from the list oi entries, and the total fell to 710, but the gate receipts were £209. At this display Mr R. McNab’s Ivel motor, the first to be seen in the district, was on view and attracted wide attention. Another novel attraction lay in the fact that one motor-car and several motor bicycles which had been recently imported into the country were displayed. In August 1906 the committee decided to erect a grandstand on the ground, and the late Mr A. A. MacGibbon, then Mayor of Gore, opened the new structure on December 7 of that year. The building cost £770. A membership drive was held in the same year, and the late Mr Hugh Mclntyre, then president, added 70 names to the roll. Evidence of the growth of the show was found in the facts that the entry money in 1892 had been £27 19/6, and the prize money £lO7 12/-, while in 1906 the figures were £lO7 12/- and £250 respectively. The membership was increased from 178 to 236. In 1908 the motor-car made its first appearance as a means of transport to the showgrounds. Dog trials were introduced for the first time, and out ot the 15 entries only three dogs succeeded in yarding. In 1909, 284 horses were entered, these forming a big portion of the 874 entries received. The gate receipts totalled £230 and special trains were run from Balclutha, Waikaka and the Waimea Plains.

A dairying boom in 1910 brought fresh life to the cattle section of the show, and the total entries were 887 and the gate receipts £256. Extra land was purchased by the association in 1911, and for the first time the entries reached a four figure total —1011. An indication of the continued growth of the show may be gained .from the following figures for that year, those in parentheses being the first show held: Horses, 409 (81); cattle, 118 (38); sheep, 246 (24). A further record was established in the entries for the show of 1913, the aggregate reaching 1031. During the war period the association met with average success, but the

post-war period has been one of remarkable progress, more particularly during the last few years. The years immediately following upon the war were perhaps not quite so good as they might have been, but gradually things righted themselves. The show of 1918 had 634 entries, and that of 1924, 972 entries. In 1925 the association built a handsome building to house dairy produce and other exhibits. Another membership drive was instituted by the committee in 1926, and this raised the membership to 760, some 209 names being added to the roll. The entries for the 1926 display established a fresh record for the association, with a grand total of 1128, which, with competition entries added, made an aggregate of 1209. The attendance was about 7000 and the gate was £258, but this last figure would have been much greater had it not been for the greatly increased membership. Record entries were again received in 1933 and the display of stock was of a remarkably high standard. Last year the association had another very fine display. At the present time the Gore show ranks as one of the best in the South Island, a position that may well be attributed to the many excellent executive officers who have guided the affairs of the association in a capable and efficient manner at all times throughout its career. ENTRIES COMPARED The detailed entries for the past three years are as follows:—

Cattle 1935 1936 1937 Beef Shorthorn - - 7 Milking Shorthorn 31 45 26 Ayrshire 9 12 15 Jersey 48 51 34 Friesian 40 43 44 Calf Classes 5 3 4 Crossbred 18 18 15 Fat Cattle 5 8 o Totals 156 180 147 Sheep Border Leicester 54 17 37 Romney Marsh 119 96 98 English Leicester 7 13 — Lincoln 5 6 — Southdown 59 73 74 Shropshire 10 5 4 Ryeland 6 6 2 Corriedale 11 6 12 Crossbred 39 25 46 Fat Sheep 23 17 8 Fat lambs 29 46 37 Ewe Hogget Competitions 7 9 7 Pet Lambs 2 3 6 Totals 371 322 331 Horses Draught 113 102 121 Thoroughbred 9 8 6 Hackney 83 80 96 Ponies 63 84 78 Totals 268 274 301 Miscellaneous Dairy Produce 245 210 332 Competitions 42 42 41 Pigs 11 8 — Dogs 23 18 14 Grand totals 1116 1054 1166