DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 926, 30 May 1878, Page 2

DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

TfiE T '%aney'Mail ? of the 18th instant furnishes' its readers with ah illustrate'd sketch of "The Champion," and the accompanying 1 notice : — " Continuing our illustrations of the .champion cattle at the late show, from, sketches taken on the ground by our special artist, herewith is a lifelike portrait of Messrs Maclean & Co.'s two-year-old Durham bull Duke of Newcastle, which, this year reigned as King of the Shorthorn ring m Alfred Park. lhisj T ear about 75 male Durhams competed fiom tli(i- best herds m the colony, so' it may fee observed that. the> title champion male is , entitled to more than a little* respect, and the cup attached to it may become additionally valuable to the owners of the Duke when they consider that. the Duke of Newcastle is the first New Zealand bull which has gained champion honors at a show of thecbief' Agricultural Society of New South Wales, or m fact, tt any show held m this colony. The strict .rules of the prohibition which closed our ports to English and Now Zealand stock had long kept the breeders of New Zealand "and New South Wales apart. Messrs. Maclean' and Co. were the first to avail themselves of die privilege which was afforded through, JN'ew .Zealand's following the example of her sisters by prohibiting- the importation of British stock, and' : at great risk' and no sniaU .expence ; . they sent tjh'ree head of their cuttle, to compete m Sidney, where they thought that they should nieet> not alone J the best m New South the. best m all tlio Australian colonies.-; This action, it appears, ' was '}■ (Suggested by their able., manager, Mr" VV. Payne — ho wjio came ,w,ith the stock, 'to this city. .Mr.:;iPtiyne was at the la to Colac sale m Victoria, where he saw the 24th Duke of IDerriraut, the champiou -bull <)f 'Victoria, sold for 2450 guiners. Mr Payne asserted that his' employer had a better bull of New Zealand breeding, a*ud that, if opportunity were afforded to him he would prove his estimate cori^cb by showing- against the 2-lth Duke of Derrimut at the next Sjdney &how.,Mr Payne k«pt his word ; ho brought his champion, but through some cause unknown to us the 24th Duke of Derrimut, although entered as .an. „ai)d was m NewSou^ Wales, not far from Sydney, during' the Exhibition, did not appear m Alfred Park. The Duke, of Newcastle is a rich roan, wonderfully : massive for ;ljis age (about 2£- years), with a *show of solid good flesh along his crops and back which is rarely displayed by Shorthhorns m this col oivy. His head is pretty, that of a true Bates ; his breast : die op and wide. Behind his shoulder ho has depth and substance, and he is nearly as level below as on top. His hindquarters are simply perfect, with flesh carried down to the hocks m a fashion which appears wonderful m a two-year-old. He is. as; active, as he is massive : and a very good recommendation as to his quality is afforded m the statements that 1500 guineas was refused for him more than thrice since he landed. Whan just two years old ho. weighed, m New Zealand nearly iiti cwt. He is a pure.Bates. His dam, Countess of Taunton, was bred by Mr= W. H. Hewett, North Court, Somersetshire. His sire, 9th Colonel Tregunter, is out of a Siddingtou cow, bred by Mr Bowley, of Gloucestershire." ■