FARM AND DAIRY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 40, 9 October 1931, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY

DEATH OF GREAT JUDGE. PASSING OF MR. H. E. B. WATSON A brief Press Association message from Wellington last week . announcing the death on -board the Ulimaroa en route from Sydney to Wellington of Mr. H. Watson, t "a prominent bowler," would not perhaps convey his true identity to many people.. The dairy world of Australia and New Zealand will receive a profound shock to learn that he was no other than Mr. H. E. B. Watson, recognised pot! only as the greatest Jersey judge of ' New Zealand, but of the Southern Hemisphere. " : !! . The late Mr. Watson, whose home was at Christchurch, was South, Island representative on the coufieil of the New Zealand Jersey Association until this year,. when he did not seek re-election. In recognition " of his valued serviees to the breed he was some time ago placed on the very small and select list of life members of the Association, and, while he had refrained from accepting the positiQP of New Zealand president, he had ori several occasions acted as vice-president-. • • For several years the late Mr. Watson was official demonstrator of the New Zealand Jersey Association. As a breeder, Mr. Watson achieved fame not confined to New Zealand, for his prefix and suffix, Meadowbrook, . was a household word in Jersey eircles throughout Australasia.. The introduction to New Zealand of the famous Twylish blood was one

Twylish Blood. of the °f eatures of the late Mr. Watson's activities as a breeder. Meadowbrook stock appear away back in the pedigrees of a big proportion of our leading eattle of thq present day and such names as Ironmaster of Meadowbrook, Masterpiece of Meadowbrook, and Remarkable of Meadowbrook are closely assoeigted with the progress of the breed in New Zealand. Mr. Watson sold his great stud " some years ago, since when he has been living in retirement at Riccarton. However, even then he could never be without one or two representatives of his beloved breed about him, and whenever he produced something at the Canterbury shows it was generally a case of-sweeping victory. Only last year. he forwarded to a North Island breeder a young cow, Hopeful's Perfeetion, ■ Y.H.C., acclaimed by judges who have examined her as one of the "sweetest" representative of Jerseydom that they have ever seen., An Honoured Judge. But it was as a judge that the late Mr. Watson achieved his greatest fame and he has had conferred upon him, to honour, never before bestowed upon any adjudicator, of being asked to judge in the one season at the four leading Australian shows, the Sydney Royal, the Melbourne Royal, the Brisbane Royal and the Adelaide Royal. In four out of the last five years, the late Mr. Watson placed the pedigree" Jerseys at the Sydney Royal, an honour all the more unique by virtue of the fact that no other man has ever been asked to judge more than once at Australia's greatest exhibition. For years past it has been one of the main endeavours of almost every leading A. and P. Association to secure his presence for its show and he has judged in almost every centre in New Zealand. Of late, ill-health had prevented him from granting his serviees with anything like the freedom that his admirers wished. The "Australasian," in a special article recently described the late Mr. Watson as a model of everything that a judge should be. With a ring manner that was a pleasure as well as an education to watch, he made his awards with delightful precision born of a knowledge and appreciation of quality that is given to very few men. Thus has death removed a colourful personality from the dairy world and the Jersey breed is a great deal the poorer for his passing. His comparatively youthful appearance eompletely belied his age and under his debonair aspect ill-health was bravely hidden. Jersey men had their last glimpse of him at a sale of imported Jerseys at Motuihi Island, Auckland, in May, when at the behest of several prominent breeders in Australia, where for health reasons he had taken up his temporary abode, he made a special trip across to make selections for them. Doyen of judges, true friend of the breed, sportsman and gentleman, Mr. Watson, vale!