LIGHT HORSES ON DISPLAY

Southland Times, Issue 24000, 15 December 1939, Page 13

LIGHT HORSES ON DISPLAY

HARNESS CLASSES VERY GOOD PONIES WELL UP TO STANDARD The parade of light horses included some splendid animals and created a particularly favourable impression. In the show ring, as well as in the parade, they made an impressive showing. The stock shown was of a good type with clear cut lines and confermation and its general appearance was such as to lend weight to the belief that Southland is one of the foremost provinces in the breeding of the light horse. In the Nofth Island the harness horse had almost disappeared from the show ring, said Mr W. Howard Booth, of Carterton, who judged that section. The harness horses were really first class and it was pleasing to see that there were still many enthusiastic exhibitors in the south. The championship went to F. and N. Walker’s (Outram) Dushka, one of the finest horses the judge had seen. This mare had plenty of pace, excellent. manners, good style and a true gait. As in some shows in the North Island, the shoeing of some of the horses was poor, pinching of the heels being one of the main faults. In nearly _ all classes the horses were well driven. The reserve champion was Christie Bros.’ (Tuturau) All Black. The judge said he would not care to encourage the class for the best and tidiest turnout under the present allocation of points. The class was a good one, but there was a danger that a man with a good average horse and a new gig and set of harness might easily beat the best horse on the ground when that horse was drawing an inferior turnout. It was the horse that counted, provided that the harness and gig were in good order. PONIES UP TO STANDARD The standard of the ponies was equal to that at any previous show he had judged at in the province, said the judge (Mr H. S. S. Kyle, M.P., Riccarton). It was of a much higher standard than the last few years. The breed class, in the class for stallions under 14 hands, produced three fine

exhibits equal to Royal Show standard. The champion was T. Carruthers’s (Middlemarch) Gamrhiw. In the class under 13.2 hands for stallions, though the number of entries was good, the judge was disappointed. Many of the entries lacked type and character. The winner, E. L. Mosley’s (Mosgiel) Pride, was an outstanding horse.

In the riding classes the placings were filled by fine horses, but the winner, Mrs H. Philpot’s (Invercargill) Roy was better managed and was better in its paces. The class under 14.2 hands brought forward some excellent entries. The winner was closely followed by the second entry, A. R. Johnston’s (Waikaka Valley) Lady Jean, which was also excellent in type and conformation.

The class for a school pony, to carry two children, was one of the outstanding features of the show. There were 28 ponies in the ring and the winner was found in Edith Irwin’s (Wyndham) Bluebell, which had the weight and substance for carrying its load and did not make a mistake. The other placed horses closely followed the winner in type. The pony class under 13.2 hands was really good, and F. ■ Ford’s (Dunedin) Tarzan was the eventual winner. Tarzan was later awarded the championship in the saddle class. Nan Cunningham’s (Castle Downs) Red Cherry took the first prize in the class for ponies 13 hands and over 12.2. This entry, which was a good example of its type, was closely followed by A. R. Johnston’s Princess Marina.

The class under 12 hands brought forward some excellent entries. The Shetlands were a. class that impressed. They were brought out with credit to the children and an improvement was noticeable in the children’s riding. The pony colt class, two years or under, was a nondescript class, and the entries were somewhat disappointing.

The harness ponies brought out some of the best action shown in the largerclasses. P. Gow’s (Winton) Tinker Bell and the second horse were both particularly good and were equal to anything in the country at the present time.

In the class under 13 hands, won by A. R. Johnston’s Princess Marina, the quality and action were generally deficient. Tire 13.2 hands class was a good one and equal to anything in the show ring. A. Duncan’s (Invercargill) Trixie, the first horse, was eventually awarded the championship for the best harness horse. She was closely followed by A. R. Johnston’s Flash. The 14 hands and over 13.2

hands class brought out one of the best harness horses in T. Carruthers’s (Middlemarch) Dinah, which won the championship for ponies from 13.2 to 14.2 hands. Her manners were perfect, and both her knee and hock action were perfect. The second and third horses, though good, were outclassed by the first. The cob class was won by F. and N. Walker’s (Outram) Phyllis, and brought the best competition for the day. Phyllis had a truer knee and hock action than the second horse, F. W. Jarnan’s (Darfield) Nuisance. The two were qualified to compete in the best company in New Zealand.