PEOPLE'S DAY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 22

PEOPLE'S DAY.

Tbt shower of hail 5n the early morniog and the leaden skies deterred many country people from coming to the City, out the Railway Department experienced a particularly busy time. From 400 to 500 travelled to the Show from Timaro, and all the other trains -were well petionised Numerous trips to Addingi«a were made by the eleetrfe battery '«r, whleh must have provided a means o/ conveyance for at least 1500 people. Trams followed one another, laden witk humanity right out to the footboard*, in an endless stream down Lincola road. "We did pretty veil/' remarked Mr Frank Thompson, General Managor,'' but we wcr« once moro impressed by the growth and increased competition of the nrotor traffic." Arrangements had turne«i ont well, he said, and all the availably rolling stock wat in use. For a period of abont ten minutes after 6 p.m. the service was not quite able to cope with the traffic. Apart from that everything went very well, and the police r.nd Oily trafflo Inspectors gave valued, assistance. As in other yeare the Metropolitan Trotting Club catered for a crowd augmented by visitors from the Show Grounds, who were determined to obtain ih« fullest variety of entertainment from the holiday, and many people passed backwards and forwards between the two grounds during the day. A Record CrowdAifbongb the crowd at the Show appeared to be a little smaller than in some previous years, such a conclusion was not borne cut by the gate receipts, which constituted the record total of £2614. The lakings for the three days of the Show aggregated £3302, as compared with £3207 in 1925. A comparison is supplied ever the past three years by the following figures: 3927 3926 3925 £ £ £ First day .. 67 415 86 Second day .. 621 1866 520 Third day .. 2614 Totals .. 3302 2281 3198 It Is estimated that 45,000 people wero present yesterday. All the space in the motor park was occupied. Whiteleigh avenue was quickly filled with cars, and a second parking area was improvised in the western portion of the Show Grounds, near Lincoln road. A line of motors was kept waiting for a while during the time in which the new.arrangements were being made. At 8.30 a.m. field trials for sheepdogs were held at Sunnyside by permission of Dr. A. C. McKillop, the standard of performance being well up to previous yeare. The sheep and pigs, which have been the subject of such favourable comment, were the centre of interest for a very large number from an early hour at the Show. Jumping Competitions. Pony jumping and trotting were judged in the morning, and the trotting and go-as-you-please races for ponies aroused the sporting interest of the crowd. In tho afternoon the hunters' competition, wire jumping, and parade of best-actioned horses were held. The pony competitions were full of interest, and might have been staged )B the afternoon as a main part of the entertainment. The animals were of good class and well handled, reflecting OTeat credit on their juvenile riders. To watch tfieir performances was a source of pleasure to the older folk, who were de-lighted to see the young people, in {hese days of motor transport, taking s<ich a keen and competent interest in such matters. The jumping produced a' finished display by a number of horses, esper riaJly by Blue Moon, a Hawke'a Bay entrant, which took the various blue ribbons associated with the competi•.;ons. >hieids. cups, and other trophies •«xre giren a prominent place in front •■ the president's bos. In the Arena. Always the Show's most spectacular feature the grand parade was a triumph of organisation and a sight w:th which nothing else could compare, in the eyes of stock-lovers. It was Jed by the Caledonian Band, the martial strains of which appeared io make the horses step out proudly, but Save no sign of stirring the great bulls from their wonted placidity. Cheers followed the beribboned and ticketed champions round the ring, and expressions of the people's admiration were heard on all sides. Down to the tiny Chihuahuas, the dogs were represented, and one diminutive canine found it hard to keep up with the march. Onlookers compared him with the bulk of the :»reat draught horses and broad-backed bulls. Always popular with the public, the Friesian cattle were a feature,

♦ Attendance of 45,000 THE GRAND PARADE. Net nntil latf in the afternoon yesterday did the sun break through the clouds, and temper the chill- blasts from the strong southerly which blew across the Show Grounds and militated against the success of People's Day at the Royal Show. Overcoats were buttoned closely, and sheltered portions of the ground were sought by a great number of tho spectators of the events on the oval. Chief of these, of course, was the grand parade, which toot place at at 1.30 p.m., by which time every seat in the large grandstand was occupied and a crowd several deep lined the fences.

and the hunters, cobs, and ponies drew favourable comment for their smart appearance. A giant pantechnicon, drawn by six horses, served to remind that the all-conquering motor-vehicle has not yet cleared the field. Stretching more than halfway across the arena and for nearly its full length, the parade has probably never been excelled. Nothing could be further from the truth than to say that every People's Day is the same. This year the new features were legion in number. Even the showmen practised fresh wiles, and the loquacious young men, who had something to give away for nothing and showered gifts among the forest of reaching hands, had a new patter. Small boys stood in front of men, possibly from Texas or Arizona, and thrilled at the sight of the broad chaps and the show of buckles and spurs, which indicated their calling, ..and the weird figure with vermilion hair which grimaced in front of the circus tent all day long seldom failed to attract attention. Then there were the Ferris wheel, which carried one far above the jostling crowd, and the merry-go-round with mirrors'and pictures, the small jnonkeys and horses, and the large, sinister faces in the chocolate, shies. Kerry's and the Caledonian Pipe Bands played selections during the day. the latter heing under the command of Drum-Major W. Koss. j THE GRAND PARADE. As usual, the grand parade was the spectacular event of the day. It lack--1 ed nothing in the way of completeness, but the cold, raw winft that blew during its progress somewhat damped the enthusiasm that generally marks tho event. The "suburban" part of the Show was deserted during the marchpast of the champions, and in spit© of the chilling effects of the atmosphere, there were occasions when some specially popular exhibits passed the stands thafc the ranks therein could scarce forbear to cheer. Even the practical man has something of a job to size up. the relative merits of stock when chewing contentedly in their stalls, and to the average man the difficulty is douhly us great. The benefit of the parade is that it allows a comprehensive view of the stock as a whole. Spread out before them the prize-winners present to the practical farmer as well as to the casual individual a chance of makin;' comparisons which are both interesting and instructive. Headed as usual by the Pipe Band, appropriately leading the Clydesdale horses, in the van of which was the champion entire, Balmedie Monarch, the procession made a brave display. Twenty-eight Clydesdales, over 40 ponies and saddle horses, a dozen buggy horses, and carriers' and retailers turnouts, made an imposing spectacle. Tho cattle had been marshalled before the entry of the horses, and, led by the Shorthorn champion bull, from Bushey Park, thev were drawn up in front of the stand in the following order-24 Shorthorns, 25 Friesians, 1§ Milking Shorthorns, 4 Herefords, 3 Aberdeen-Angus, 14 Red Polls, 25 Jerseys, 7 Guernseys, and 23 Avrshires. J-ast, but not least except in the matter of size, came the dogs, which were paraded m front of the stock. Th-* . once round" of the canines, representing, as tar as the average man could tell, every known and unknown breed, was greeted with great applause, particularly from the younger folk, i-'rawn up in "squadron line" the whole ™u i W m P ,lot °g ra Phed, and the result should be a n attractive feature in tne pictorial papers. *ion°!!frt Ve |? ifc .»" » fine representation of the Dominion's stock, and visit»«ii wl '° P rev J°u?ly w-ere disposed to applaud the stock show conservatively ofr^ss? 0 in their expressWs NIGHT CARNIVAL. ENTERTAINMENTS CONTINUE. A second trip to the Show, Grounds was made by thousands of people last evening, when side-show alley was brilliantly lighted for the night carnival. Those in quest of thrills patronised the great Perns wheel, watched the circling of the Globe of Death, or admired the skill of the horsemen, who defied the highest leaps of the buckjumpers. Others tried their own skill at the chocolate shies, and still another section of the crowd found much to interest them in the freaks of Nature, glass works, and similar shows. Not a few made a round of everything which the alley had to offer. It has long been recognised that no Agricultural Show would be complete without its sideshows, and in recent years the night crnival has developed into a very popular feature at Addington. The side-shows, will be open again today from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., and it is certain that a great number who have so far not had an opportunity for enjoying their attractions will find one to-day before these entertainero move on. •

HORSES. | Pony Competitions. The display in the pony competitions j section was one of the brightest spots | of the day, the rivalry amongst the juveniles being keen. The entry was good in practically every class, and it took a very creditable degree of quality to come to the surface. In the 14.2 hands maiden jumping competition, over four flights of hurdles, horses to be ridden by boys or girls under 17, only two contestants appeared,, a creditable exhibition resulting in Miss Bona Little's Toby taking the award. There was a really good display in the class for ponies not exceeding 14 hands, to be ridden by boys or girls under 17, in which event nine keen juveniles appeared. Thos. Masefield's Trixy obtained the premier award, with his second string, Peter, in the next place, and P. E. Rhodes third. There is a standard high jump in Australia of 7ft lOin by a pony, Thumbs Up, and although that elevation is well in the air compared with yesterday's exhibition, at least one of the ponies showed a leaping capacity that could be profitably developed. This was evidenced in the class referred to, and also in the 14.2 class, in which there were again nine entries. Norton Hadfield scored in this event, and Miss Ina McVinnie was second. The handicap pony trots were taken part in with great keenness by the youthful riders, and the events were watched as much interest as if larger issues were at stake. For ponies under 14 hands P. L. Donald's Barney had much better pace than the handicapper expected, and had an easy win over F. Neave's Hawthorne and Miss Ina McVinnie's King Cole. The contestants in the next event, for ponies 13 hands and under, were better brought together, and a good race took place, especially between first and second, F. Truscott's Trixie and Miss M. McGibbon's Fancy, respectively. The " go-as-you-please" event for ponies 12 hands or under resulted in an exciting finish between G. F. Hutton's pony and Leslie Macfarlane's Tommy, both the boys in the saddle riding well. In a similar race for ponies 11 hands and under, Betty McLaughlin's Teddy, with a heavy handicap to make up, won. after a close finish, from W. Bowden'3 pony, the only oth'er competitor. Hunters. For the Eoyal champion open hunters' competition there were twelve competitors, and four were called in for a second round—Mrs M. Bethell's Peaceful, D. Gillanders' Captain Murphy, Oswald Nelson's Blue Moon, and Miss B. Harper's Challenger. Blue Moon, who was ridden by A. McDonald, the steeplechase horseman, did his two rounds in.perfect style and .added another win to his credit. As there was only one prize, no other horse was placed, but Captain Murphy and Challenger both jumped well. The veteran, Mr G. H. Hassell, had a mount in this event, but the horse fell at the first fence and Mr Hassell, though badly shaken, was not hurt. Blue Moon, who is owned in Hastings, Hawke 's Bay, made no doubt about safely negotiating the wire jumps in the next event, taking each one with plenty to spare—a really finished performance, Mr Hadfield.'s Hotch, a pony, who jumped high.and clean, and Mrs M. Bethell's Peaceful, a safe jumper, were much the best of the other competitors, and were placed second and third. The winner also took Mr J. 0. Coop's challenge cup, which was held last year by Miss T. Rutherford. There were-a number of withdrawals from the competition for the Renown Challenge Cup, for qualified hunters, ridden by owners, and judged upon points. Four competitors entered the ring, and Miss B. Harper's Challenger, scoring 20 points out of a possible 23, was the winner from Miss Kay's Plastic, J. H. Selby's Firegirl, and C. E. Skevington's Homeleigh. There were thirteen entries in the consolation jumping competition, and some of the horses did better rounds than in previous attempts. D. Gillanders' Captain Murphy, ridden by Miss B. Harper, Mrs M. Bethell's Peaceful, and Miss K. Kay's Plastic were placed in that order. Miss Kay's riding during the day was the subject of favourable comment. The Gillanders Challenge Cup, for the best performer in the jumping classes, type and soundness to be taken into consideration, was awarded to Mr Oswald Nelson's Blue Moon. Although he lacked in type, as he is only a cob, he was outstanding in his jumping capabilities, and was sound. In the hunter events in which he competed he thus won J all the highest awards during the two days. The first prize for the best-actioned harness horse was an easy win for W. Kennedy's champion, Bingen Brook, second place being filled by Miss F. Johnston's Great Amazon. Six competitors out of ten entries came forward for adjudication as tho best-actioned* cob or pony in harness. The judge went for plain, if effective, action rather than stylish, and ponies that would possibly be favourably regarded in Sydney or Home Country rings, where style is all-important, wore overlooked. I Tradesmen's Horses. ' I Three classes in the section devoted | to carriers and tradesmen's horses were | left over for judging yesterday. Five "came forward in the class for | bakers' delivery cart horses, and an exceptionally good animal was produced in the winner—a black exhibited by I Stacey and Hawker. For quality and action it was the best type produced in the tradesmen's classes for years. Only a solitary exhibit came out in the best and tidiest turnout of milk-cart horse, but a half-dozen good-class workers, came into the ring in the fourwheeled turnqut, J. M. Heywood and Co. scoring both the main awards. The pantechnicon team competition was marked for the first time for many years by the absence of Strange and Co.'s striking six chestnuts, the appearance of which in the ring always aroused keen interest. However, the N.Z. Express Co.'s six bays—the three leaders light and the shafters dark bays, and all with uniformly blazed faces—made an excellent showing. AMBULANCE. The members of the nursing divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade who staffed the three tents on the grounds were kept fairly busy attending to minor hurts. There were only a few serious cases. <

PRIZE LIST. PONY JUMPING AND TROTTING. (Judge-: Mr L. Vt. Nelson, mangarei.) i.?**-** o !*!**, Bot oTar " h »nd» 2ln (3): Miss a. Little 1, T. Masefleld 2. Ponies not over 14 hands (.10): T Massfield 1 and 2, P. R. Rh M M 3. Ponies not over 14 hands 2in <im • W Hadfield 1, Mis. I. Hcvfnaie 2, TU»t nem 3. Handioap Pony £ot, under 14 buds (7): P. L. Donald 1, P. Neave- 3, Miss I. MeVinnie S. Handicap Pony Trot, not exceeding 13 hands (9): T. Truscott 1, Mis. M. MaeGibbon 2, P. Neave 3, Go-as-you-please, 12 bandt or under (5): Q. P. Hutton 1, L. Macfarlane 3, P V. Bailey 3. Go-as-yon-please, 11 hand* or under (2): W. Bowden 1, Misg B. MeLaughKn 2. HORSES. Baker's delivery eart (5): Stacey ,nd Hawker 1, 0. E. Boon 2, W. P. Lane c. Milk cart (1): 0. Reed 1. Pour-wheeled turn-out (6): J. X. Heywood ana Co., Ltd., 1 and 2. Gillanders Challenge Oup: Oswald Nelson's Blue Moon 1. Gaiety Challenge Oup: Miss I. Rutherford's Perfection 1. .. ** y £\ ehwnpion, open hunters' competition (13): Oswald Nelson's Blue Moon 1. Wire jumper (15): Oswald Nelson'. Blue Moon 1, N. Hadfield's Hotch 2, Miss I Rutherford'a Perfection 3. Best-actioned horse, in harness (S) • A J McLaughlin's Overy 1, W. Kennedy's Bingen Brook 2, Miss P. Johnston's Great Amazon „ Be st -»c tion ed eob or pony, in harness (10): 0. E. Skevmgton's Shirley 1, J. Chesney 2. H. S. S. Kyle's Firefly 3. r ' •Renown Challenge Oup, for hunters (9): Miss B. Harper's Challenger 1. Consolation jumping competition: D. Gillander's Captain Murphy 1, Mrs Bethel's Peaceful 2, Miss Kay's Plaßtic 3. SWISS CHALET. OPENING OF FORESTRY LEAGUE'S BUILDING. One of the additions to the permanent buildings on the Show Grounds, the Forestry League's Swiss Chalet, was formally opened yesterday morning by Mr James Deans, president of the New Zealand Forestry League, and past president of the Canterbury Branch, in the presence of a numerous and intertested gathering. The opening was formal in that since the opening of the Show the building has been visited by very many, and yesterday morning was no exception, the building, being crowded during the period before the formal opening, which took place shortly after 11 o'clock. * Amongst those who attended were Mr E. May, president of the Canterbury A. and P. Association; Dr. Acland, deputy chairman of the Canterbury Branch, the president, Mr W. H. AVinsor, being absent in Australia; Dr. Charles Chilton, a past president of the Canterbury Branch; Mr C; E. Foweraker, lecturer in charge of the School of Forestry, Canterbury College; Mr Reece, forest extension officer, Mr It. G. Robinson, superintendent of the Selwyn Plantation Board; and Mr R. Browning, secretary of the Canterbury Branch of the Forestry League. Mr Deans said that ho had been asked by the Forestry League to officially open the new building. He thought that it was a very creditable thing that the League had done in erecting the building. He thought that it was Mr W. H. Winsor who had first suggested that something of this description should be provided on the Show Grounds, and he felt certain that if Mr Winsor had been present all would have joined in congratulating him on the building. In it the Forestry League would be able to give the public something fresh to see each year. It had been built after the fashion of a Swiss chalet—something unique for New Zealand. He had been in Switzerland , a few months ago and the building followed closely on the lines of the style of building seen in Switzerland. Itwas not quite finished, but as the years went by it was hoped to improve it and show more panelling. The chalet was quite a feature of the Show Grounds, and the Leaigue had been lucky in obtaining such a good site—it was one of the best on the grounds. The building and the exhibits that would be shown in it would be a great means of fostering interest in forestry matters. The League had had the assistance of the Selwyn Plantation Board, the Builders' Association, the School of Forestry at Canterbury College, ard the State Forest, Service in the erection of the building and in the matter of exßibite. Mr Deans then declared the building open and unlocked the door. The building was visited durine the afternoon by large numbers, who showed much interest in the various exhibits, and in the graphs illustrating different matters relating to. forestry. FEEDING THE STOCK. This year the Association wisely decided to provide the feed for exhibitors free of charge. It probably cost a little money, as the job was done well, but the satisfaction of stock owners far offset the matter, of £ s. d. The feed consisted almost entirely of cultivated lucerne, cut and tied by the reaper and binder in bundles averaging about 81b. In this form the fend was used with ah absolute freedom from waste, which experience shows is impossible when the feed is provided «*>se- The feed was cut the day if the Show or the night before, and was therefore of the freshest qualitv. Altogether, it was a successful innovation, highly appreciated by exhibitors from a distance whose stock were in need of» succulent fodder, and several expressed a desire to a Press man to nave this fact intimated. The contractors,, Messrs Dixon Bros., deserve credit for the efficiency of their work. PASKETWARE. ROTARY CLUB'S SUCCESSFUL SALE. A complete clearance of the basketware handed to the Christchurch Rotary Club to be disposed of for the Jubilee Institute of the Blind, Auckland, was effected yesterday, the keen demand experienced on Thursday continuing. There was an almost continuous stream of visitors, who admired the excellence of the workmanship and purchased freely. The members of the Rotary Club, who have been in attendance at the tent, naturally ar#> much gratified with the result*