CAMBRIDGE HORSE FAIR.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1402, 11 September 1923, Page 8

CAMBRIDGE HORSE FAIR.

THIS YEAR'S BIG ENTRY. For a great many years the annual spring horse fair at Cambridge has been looked upon as one of the great events of the year, and rightly so, for this great sale has long been recognised as the premier sale of the kind in the Auckland province, if not for the whole Dominion. Owing to the advent of motor driven vehicles of various kinds —passenger cars, motor cycles, lorries, tractors, etc.—the demand for horses has necessarily fallen away very considerably of late years, and therefore much of the glory of the old time Cambridge 'horse fairs has departed, never to return. However, the faithful horse will never be entirely superseded. The noble animal is absolutely indispensable, particularly in scattered farming districts, and in localities where there are few decent roads, while for ploughing, etc., it will be a long time, in all probability, before the "iron horse" will come into general use, despite its advantages in some respects. The decline in the number of horses in the Dominion is not so marked as is commonly supposed. Official statistics show that in the year 1908 there were 363,778 horses in New Zealand, while last year this number had fallen to 332,105. A reduction of a little over 30,000 horses in a period of 15 years is not a very heavy one, considering the enormous strides made by motors, and the fact that there are still about one-third of a million horses in use in the Dominion is proof of the importance of the horse industry. Of these numbers Auckland province leads the way with a total of, approximately 80,000, Canterbury coming next with 60,000, and Wellington 40,000. The Cambridge annual spring horse fair is still recognised as one of the leading sales of the kind held in the entire Dominion. This week's fair under the auspices of the Farmers' Auctioneering Co.. Ltd., will be held to-day and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, when 1000 horses of various kinds will attract buyers from all parts of the North Island, and some from even further afield, for the Cambridge district horses are a fine stamp, being much sought after. It is pleasing to see this annual horse fair maintaining its high standard of recent years.