NEW ZEALAND ROMNEYS WIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 834, 4 June 1910, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND ROMNEYS WIN.

ARCENTINE SHOW RESULTS. MR. SHORT'S SUCCESSES. Tho four pens of - Romney Marsh sheep sent across to tho Argentine Centennial Show by Mr. Ernest Short, of Parorangi, Feilding, have each tarried off first prizes. ' Ono of the ram Jambs and a pen of ewo hoggets havo been awarded world's championships, and another ram is reserve champion. This is tho most important win yet scored by a New Zealand sheepbreedor outsido the Dominion, and should prove a big advertisement for New Zealand stud stock in tho ArgonliiiH. Argentine Breeders Delighted.' The cabled advice received by Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., yesterday morning was to tho following effect:— "Won four firsts. World's champions Record Breaker B 7 of 1009 rnm lamb, and pen of ewe hoggets. Reserve, Godwin 4th (four-tooth ram), boating thirty English exhibits. Argentine breeders delighted." There are six classes for Romney Harsh sheep at thu Argeiitino show,

three for rams, and three for ewes. In one class only, in raniß and ewes, was it possible for breeders in the Southern Hemisphere to meet their rivals from the Old World. In the other two classes Northern and Southern sheep had to compete separately. No championship awards for single sheep were set out in the show schedule, and Mr. Short before his departure expressed his disappointment that he should not bo able to pit his Record Breaker 111 against the champion ram Mr. 0. Files had shipped to tho Argentine. Apparently the schedule has been revised somewhat, and championships since allotted. Curiously enough, no mention is made in the cablegram of Record Breaker 111, which Mr. Short himself considered to bo easily the best sheep he has ever bred. Mr. Short's entries wero distributed, as follow: —• Mr.'Short's Entries. Class I.—Three rams horn before January 1, 1909. In this class Mr. Short's one-shear sheep had to ' compete against English two-shear sheep, as, owing to tho difference in the time of lambing, tho English sheep have six months' advantage in every case over those born south of the Equator. Mr. Short had two entries in this class. First, a pen consisting of Record 52nd, Record 48th, and Elevation 2nd, all four-tooth rams. In the second, pen wero three two-tooth rams, one by Record Breaker, and two by Record 18th. Two extra entries' had been made in this class fgr exhibition only, and in case of accident, a: four-tooth ram by Earl Godwin, which was champion at Hastings last year, and a two-tooth ram by Record 21st. Award: First prize, and Earl Godwin ram reserve champion. Class ll.—Three rams born between JajiuaTy 1 and April 30, .1909. As lambs aro not born in the Southern Hemisphere between these dates, competition was confined to English-bred sheep solely. Class- lll.—Three rams born between May .1 and October 31, 1909. In this class tho English sheep were excluded, as southern breeders were in Class 11, and competition was between Mr. Short's Romneys and those bred in South America. In this class was entered Record Breaker 111, which Mr. Short considered his best sheep, in company with two other lambs by Record Breaker and another for exhibition only. Award: First prize, and world's championship to Record Breaker B 7 of 1909.■ The three classes for Romney ewes aro arranged on exactly the same plau as those for the rams, and in them -Mr. Short's entries are distributed as follow: —. Class I.—Three two-tooth ewes, nne by Record 2nd, ono by Record 37th, and one by Record Breaker. A ewe by Mevation is being sent for exhibition only. Award: First prize and world's championship. Class lI.—No exhibit for same reason its in the case of rams. Class lll.—Three, ewe lambs by Record Breaker, and ono for exhibition only. Award: First prize. The Sheep Described. i The sheep have previously been 'fully described in Tub Dominion. Of the four-tooth rams the Godwin sheep, now reserve champion, is the best framed but not the best woolled. Tho other three wore too even to be separated. The second pen of two-tooths in this class were also a beautifully even lot. The principal interest in 'the rams, however, centres about Class 111, for in this is found tho world's champion, Record Breaker B 7 of 1909. In New Zealand Record Breaker 111 and his brother, Record Breaker IV, also in this class, wore considered the pick of I the shipment, and for them Mr. W. Akers, of Linton, vainly offered £800 apiece. Apparently Mr Short could have sold them both, have pocketed a cool £1600, and still have won the Argentine world's championship with tho remaining fhecp in tin's class. The ewes formed t<vn remarkably even lots, and the lour shearling ewes left New Zealand in lamb to Record Breaker. I'ive years Mr. Short won his first Romnny prize at the Manawatu Show. When he left New Zealand in April last ho had won 52 championships, 188 firsts, 143 seconds, 851 thirds, and 75 fourths, making a total of 543 nrizes for the five-year period. In addition he liad won 12 gold medals, 14 silver modals, and 10 silver shields— a total uf 34 special prize!!. Evolution of tho Strain. In The Dominion of April 2 last an account was given of the evolution of the Record strain, witb which Mr. Short has scored his successes, and we cannot do better than repent what was then said. Mr. Short laid the foundation of his present Btud iloek in 1897

by tho purchase of 150 stud ewes in lamb, from Mr. Robert Cobb, of Raukawn, Ashhurst. In tho first year after buying Mr. Cobb's sheep Mr. Short bred a ram, Parorangi, which lie considers to have been tho making of his stud flock. Up to 1903,' however, ho was breeding just good ordinary Romnoys, with no features to distinguish them from anybody else's stud flocks. In that year came the first great step forward. The old Uomncys havo very littlo crimpy or loclcy wool in their fleeces. This.wool, by reason of its elasticity, is much more valuable to tho manufacturers than an ordinary straight-growing staple, and a crimpy fleeco is worth anything up to threepence a pound more than an ordinary one. Mr, Short made it his ambition to get crimpy wool all over his llomnoys. The best English breeders have never succeeded in getting it beyond tho shoulders, and in a few cases along tho back. By mating his rams and owes with the greatest care, Mr. Short had at last tho satisfaction in 1903 of getting fifty lambs with crimpy wool oil over them. The sheep that established what has since become known as the Record strain was a rani called Favourite. He was mi ordinary Komney of his day, without a bit of the desired crimpy or lockv wool on him. Mi-. Short weiit carefully over hie stud flock r.nd picked out fifty ewes showing any signs of crimpiness, and put thorn to this ram. Then by an extraordinary ,bit of good luck eamn the lambs, the only Ronmeys in tho world with this much-sought wool. "I might," says Mr. Short, "have tried a

thousand times and never have done it again. It was a freak of Nature that made the Paroraugi sheep." Record Breaker B 7 of 1909, Record Breaker 111, and Record Breaker IV are great grandsons of Favourite, and in these last four generations is to be seen tho whole evolution of the most remarkable strain of blood known in New Zealand sheep-breeding. Favourite was. a dense-woolled sheep, with a short and perfectly straight staple. He was a light clipper, giving only about 121b. of wool. His son Record had a medium long staple, was crimped all over the body, and clipped from 18Jlb. to 221b. Tho Record sheep, Mr Short says, will bring tho crimp out on o\ ery ewe they are put to. Record Breaker Arrives. In the next generation came Record Breaker, a ram twice as good as his father. Being a twin, ho was not, however, quite so large. He had a more characteristic head, a leveller back than his sire, and better-shaped hindqunrter. His wool is crimpy throughout, and it is as good on his belly and water-line as on his ribs. It is impossible, in fact, to tell where tho belly wool starts. Ho is, moreover, breeding more consistently than any sheep Mr. Short has ever produced. Tho specially strong; point of Record Breaker 111 in Mr. Short's estimation was his fine and spirited carriage, which showed off all tho points of the strain to advantage Apparently' the English judges at the Buenos Ayres show, while fully recognising the merits of the PaTorangi sheep, did not 6ee quite eye to eye with their breeder on this point. Some misgiving was felt as to whether the British judges would take kindly to tho New Zealand Romney developments, but the result has been-a well-won triumph for this country. No advice has so far'been received as to the fortunes of tho four Lincolns sent to the show by Mr. W. Perry, of Penrose. Before Mr. Short departed it was generally understood that if he found tho . Argentine sheep-men sufficiently favourable towards the Now Zealand Romney he would peobnWy purchase an estancia in the Republic.' Rumour had it that in that case ho would transfer half \m stud Romnny flock there, and retain the other half at Pnrorangi, himself travelling backwards and forwards once a year.