FIRST SPRING SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1573, 17 October 1912, Page 8

FIRST SPRING SHOW.

HASTINGS LEADS OFF. THE HORSES FORM A FEATURE. ENTRIES AND HONOURS. (Bjr Telegraph—Special Reporter.) ■ Hastings, Octobw lfi. ; The' curtain was rung up to-doy on the first of tho scries of 'spring shows, when the ITmvko's,Bny'.A. nnd V. Society commenced its annual gathering at Hastings. The weather was fine but dull, and the attendance largo. Tho show., is right up to the high standard set by tho society, and, although tho entries are not a record in all classes, Hhey are so in cattle, farm and dairy produce, poultry, grain and seeds, and 'sundries. The total entry was 2H!>, as against 2231 i last year, and 1940 for the ;year before. Tho biggest class iu the show is the horse .section, which attracted orer 500 entries, ;tho draught animals fc-eing a feature of the gathering. They included entries .from the. studs of tho Hon. J. D. Ormond, Messrs. Hugh Campbell, Douglas Jl'Lean, G. W. Harding, W. J. and A. F. Douglas, ,and E.'Short. A good deal of the horse judging has still to be done to-morrow. An innovation in connection with tho draughts was a. rule (covering some seven ■classes) that all draught horses of both sexes, of three years'old and upwards, exhibited in the breeding classe?, should ■bo examined by a Government veterinary ..officer before going into the ring, and, if Rejected because of hereditary unsoundness, they were not to Ik subniitted to the judge. It is understood that some of the •entries failed to pass the test, aud had, .'in consequence, to stand down. The' rattle entry-iMi-is the highest which the show lias ever had. The principal exhibitors in the Shorthorn class were Messrs. W. T. Williams, of Te Ante, and Douglas M'Lean, Arch. JPLean, W. C. Buchanan, and W. Howard Booth. Mr. T. 'W. Williams was very successful with his entries. The judge of the cattle was delighted with the stock which he had to cover, and considered that the entries in stock all round constituted one of the finest lots which he had seen. The competition in •Hercfords was imt as keen as in the pre-viously-mentioned class, the classes bein? made up almost entirely from the herds of Messrs. E. Short, G. V. Moore, and ('. A. J. Levetl.' Messrs. Moare and Short shared the championships. The Polled Angus exhibits wore comparatively light, representing only four breeders, and Mr. K. S. O. Carlyon carried off one champion ticket, and Mr. .1. A. JlncFarlnne the other. The pure-bred and dairy entries were light and disappointing. The dairy cattle provided only n I'airiy good competition, and fat cattle were at a premium. There was a very strong entry by "Rnmney Marsh sheep-breeders from various quarters. The ram? were a good lot, but bore evidence of having passed through a., hard winter, and many of the ewes were, considered by the judge* to lie deficient in colouring on til-? nose, and, in a fair percentage, were deficient in bone. Mr. Perry's ewe hoggets were an exceptionally fine lot. Lincolns were also much in ovidence, and so were Southdowns. Tho other breeds were fairly strong, and, altogether, the sheep made a very attractive showing. Mr. Douglas M'Lean carried oft' four championships,- and Mrs. J. D. Ormond wis also very successful with three, whilst Nelson Bros., G. l<. Marshall, and AV. Perry each landed doubles. In some cases, however, the. competition was practically nil. This, in fact, was thu case last year. Show pigs were scarce, breeders responding with but anything iilro a satisfactory entry. The numerous classes offered warranted a stock train being run to the show from the Wairarnpa and Mannwatu. and these proved a success, the stock beino: landed in dayliiht in excellent condition, and to th«"'satisfae:t, : .oii <of'their owners.