EARLY MASTERTON SHOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

EARLY MASTERTON SHOWS

INITIAL VENTURE HELD IN 1871

Noteworthy Gathering on Park Site

MR C. BANNISTER’S' REMINISCENCES

(Specially written for the “Wairarapa Times-Age” by Mr Charles Bannister.)

In 1871 a meeting was held at the Sir George Grey Hostel to form a show society. Major Smith, of Lansdowne, was elected chairman. Mr J. G. Rockel, cf Matahiwi, spoke in favour of the proposal and was supported by Mr R. Collins, of Te Ore Ore, Mr W. 11. Beetham, of Brancepeth. Dr Boor, and Mr H. Bannister. The motion was seconded by Mr W. H’. Donald, of Manaia. The first show was neld on the present Park site, and the secretary’s office was in one of the huts of the Stockade. Mr Arnot was the first secretary. A working bee was formed to build the yards. Everybody worked and gave what they could to make it a success. A Mr Waterhouse gave a donation of £lO 10s. 1 think lam the onlj' one left who worked on that showground. I w.is a youngster but I did my bit. I split flax and handed it to that, great man with shows, Mr James McGregor. The sheep, when they got hungry, ate the flax. At the next show my father provided tarred yarn. What makes me remember triat show? I had played the wag from school and when I went back after the show I got a good dose jf the supplejack. That show was a great success regarding entries and attendance. My father was awarded several prizes. One was for the best sow. A couple of years later this sow was killed for oacon. Her weight when dressed was 4951 b. W. loins won the jump with horse B.A.M. (the horse- was branded that on Lis rump). Bill Noble was the rider. W. lorns won the tilling on H. Bannister’s little norse Dick Turpin. Gue of the other competitors entered a protest saying that every contestant should ride his own horse. The committee gave lorns the prize. In the sports. I think that great vaulter, Mr Duncan McMaster, beat Kaki, a Maori. In the hop, step and jump George Bentley and a Maori named Hawbonc-s had a great go. Bentley eventually wen. E. B. Bannister won the prize for fox terriers; he had a nice little Scotch terrier wl ich he tied to the fence with a cord. When the judge came to adjudicate it had chewed the cord through and was gone. Tne judge told the owner to run home and ge.t it. It was awarded first prize for terriers. In the evening the young people played games and enjoyed themselves.

As these were Wairarapa shows the text was held at Greytown in 1872 nd the one after that was held at Tau? lerehikau in 1873. In 1874 one was held it Masterton, and as Masterton had revived its share of immigrants the >opulation was doubled. This made a ,reat difference in the gate money. Enries came from the South Island such is those for thoroughbred stallions, vhich were sold on the ground. Mr E. V. Mills, of Wellington, sent a consignment of up-to-date farming implements. These were not all sold and some were left on the showground for quite a while. We schoolboys used to grind dried cow dung in a corn crusher. [ can recall two boys who had a finger crushed.

CATCHING THE GREASY PIG. )

My father took several prizes at that' show. There were two donkeys there, kindly lent by Mr Vallance. of Kahumingi, for the boys to ride at 3d a ride, the takings to be for the show fund. Kaki won the vaulting and G. Bentley the hop, step and jump. W lorns again won the tilting and George yule the mile. After the sports were over, the next event was one for catchng a greasy pig. It was a real Captain Cooker, a three-quarter-grown boar caught and brought in by Mr W. lorns. its tail was well greased before it was let go; it had to be caught by the tail. Jhe entry fee was 2s and the prize was £l. About ten entered. After having ieen chased for a while the pig bailed ip and showed fight, and it was a case of first hold. The pig got it, grabbing a nan by the knee, tearing his pants ind making a pasty wound. Then Jack Desmond took a flying tackle. He garbled the pig by the tail, tipped him on nis back, got hold of his legs and put him in a pen. He got the £1 and the fig. Mr Chas Ewington rode Mr RockJ.’s ponies which were awarded first orize. Mrs Ewington, the mother of the Ewington brothers, had the refreshment. booth. That show ended the Waiarapa shows in Masterton. MASTERTON SOCIETY FORMED. In 1885 a meeting was held, and a ;ociety was formed called the Masteron A .and P. Association. Mr R. S. Hawkins was the first president and Mr R. Fitton the first secretary. A how was held in Lowes and lorn’s tew saleyards in Renal! Street. On that occasion the stewards for the :attle were Messrs D. McKenzie. A. W. Cave, D. Guild, and W. lorns. I vas to assist them. Tn those days the :attle were very shy. ?\s all the yards vere too large they bad to be divided to make sufficient small pens. Il mostly happened that the cattle for the front pen came first, and they had to be hifted to get the back ones in. This gave us a lot of trouble as the cattle got vorked up. Shorthorn cattle outnumbered all other breeds. Hereford came text in numbers. Jersey and Polled Angus were not in fashion, not one being shown. Fourteen dairy cows in nilk were shown. Mr Walter Perry’s bullock Moody was first in the fat bullock class. In the sheep section there were 14 entries in Merinos in the wool. 31 in Lincolns (in the wool), one Leitestcr. 24 Romney Marsh, and no Southdowns. In the freezing class there was a prize for a pen of 10 fi-tooth vethers, and another for a pen of 10 1-tooth wethers. In the ladies’ hacks there were some beautiful horses. Mrs T. lorns came first with Comus. Messrs W. Mace’s Barbara, J. C. Vallance’s. Petrucic. F. Moore's Moano, J. M. Meridith's Waratah and Miss Hawkins’s Silvia also competed. QUICK YARDING. At that show there was a class for a farmer’s sheep dog to yard three sheep in the quickest time. Mr W. Vile’s dog won it. He started off with a bound, barking loudly all the way to the sheep and bringing them back as fast as they could run. barking all the time. He did it in the quickest time and got the prize, He did not work like the

dogs of today, which never make a sound and work so gently. When the. jumping started I was told off to keep the spectators cut of.the v/ay of the competing horses. There was no ring then, only a straight course. The horse I used to ridp was well adapted for that job. He could canter at a pace not much faster than a walk. If I put a little weight on the curb he would rear up and paw. If I put the hooks in and put a good pull on the reins he would pig jump till I eased off. If I put my hand behind tne saddle he would lash out with both hind legs. This would scare the crowd and I.would not have much trouble' in keeping them back. That old veteran rider, Jack Casey, won the Jumping contest with a chestnut horse called Mountain Deer. He also rode Mr J. Renall’s Blackboy.

SOME NOTABLE JUMPERS. Some of the best jumpers at the later shows were Herbert Welch's roan horse Two Up. often ridden by Dick Bannister. Once the horse fell and . a son of Erin who was standing by exclaimed, “Shure, and it is two down.” On another occasion Mr J. L. Murray gave a special prize for the best rider. Before starting Dick Bannister went to Ihe creek and gave his pants a good wetting. “He never shifted in his seat” and got the prize. There was a little horse Arapato Himona’s. Alec Chambers used to ride him. Once in the high jump the horse thought it would be easier to go underneath, so he ducked his head and under he went. The rider took the pole with him on the pummel of the saddle. There was great applause from- the spectators. After that a light pole was put up and the horse was given another try. He cleared the jump and won. Tommy Thompson had a good jumper named Karatia, which won many times. He used to ride himself. Mr Carmen's One Eye was a jumper of merit. Mr T. 11. Hill had a mrse called Spartan. He was ridden ay Mr 11. Hill (Fin) and his horse won .he contest for the best hack and that for lie jumping. He was afterwards sold as a ladies’ hunter and was well known n the Rangitikei district as a hunter md show horse. SHEEP SHEARING. In the sheep shearing contest 20 minjtes was allowed to shear three sheep. D. Wilton did his in 15 minutes. They .vere well shorn with few second cuts md no tar. A L. White, of Carterton tad the refreshment booth. H. Toohill ;f the Royal Hotel. Masterton, was on 'he ground with a booth and this was his advertisement: “I am able and willing to supply the pure and unadulterited liquors.”

Twelve shows were held on the Renall Street yards and the next show was held on the Dixon Street ground. This was the first autumn show. There were many different secretaries for the Renall Street shows. Messrs R. J. Fitton, A. Walker. W. Lowes, C. IT. Gayfer. F. Lewis and again W. Lowes.