CLYDESDALE HORSES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2485, 11 June 1915, Page 8

CLYDESDALE HORSES

BREEDERS' ANNUAL REPORT.-, The fourth annual general meeting of members of the Clydesdale Horse Society of New Zealand will bo held at the Show Grounds, Palinorston North, ou June 23, at 3.3 p.m. The annual report states: —The council are gratified at the steady and increasing- support accorded tho society by the agricultural community. The membership now stands at 457, and the accumulated fund .at £'319 4s. -During the year- twenty-two district; Agricultural and Pastoral Societies were -affiliated to the society. Tho Wright Stephenson 50-guinea Challenge Cup was competed for at tho Otago A. and 1\ Society's Stallion Show at J'or bury Park, Duncdin, in September, 1014, and was awarded t-o Mr. James Patrick, Leo Crook, Outram, for Scotland's Conqueror (imp.). This is Mr. Patrick's third consecutive win. The trophy has to be won four times only with different animals before- it becomes tho absolute property of tho winner. Tho Union Steam Ship Company's Challenge Cup of tho same valuo was competed for at the Egmorit A. and P. Socioty's Show at Hawera in November, 1914, and was awarded to Mr. Ernest Short, Parorangi, I'cilding,. for Sillot-h Lady (imp.),~'G.V.l.C. This is Mi-. Short's second win. At the time of writing last report 31S animals had been inspected and passed under tho veterinary inspection scheme. A considerable number more have been examiiled since then. i;TJie details are- Life certificates (G.V.L.C.), 184; provisionally certified (P.C. witii date), 173—in all 357. According to tho rules of the society eight members of council retire annually, four from each island.- The movement in favour of the formation of breed societies and the registration of pedigree grows apace. In. New Zealand the Shorthorn breeders, following the lead of the sheep, Hereford, and dairy cattle and Clydesdale men, are presently engaged considering the constitution of a breed society. Tho latest recruit is South Africa, in which colony a Clydesdale Horse Society recently formed is meeting with such support. The Clydosdale Horse Society of the Common-wealth-of Australia has opened offices at ■396 Bourke Street, Melbourne, and at a meeting of New South Wales Gl.vdes<lale breeders held during Sydney Show /Week it was enthusiastically resolved to co-operate with the Victorian breeders'. The splendid rains recently experienced there, coupled with the great demand for all the produce of the farm, will inevitably influence the valuo of draught stock, as the greater afea going under crop this season will cause a brisk demand for horses during the next few months. To meet this demand registration here should bo early and carefully attended to. In Scotland, although the export- trade, owing to the dangers of shipping, has reached almost vanishing point, the home trade is remarkably •active. The prices realised at public auction for geldings ranges from 70 guineas to 110 guineas. There is also n. brisk demand for marcs, a two-year-old filly by Dumire Footprint out of the fine black mare Elaine realising what wo thii'ik is a world's record at the age— £1600 —and the Horse Breeders' Associations are vying with each other in hiring stallions to travel districts in sortio cases three years ahead of time.