The Stratford A & P Society is holding its annual show on November 28 and 29 and vice-president Ross Soffe says livestock entries are very good, with about 250 dairy entries and 65 for beef.
It’s the biggest number of beef entries at the show for quite some time, he says, while dairy entries are ahead of last year, returning to where they were before Mycoplasma bovis.
Pig entries, well up on recent years, are similar to beef.
Soffe says the three livestock categories have all been given royal event status by the Royal Agricultural Society.
The show also features Stratford A & P Society competitions for young stock handlers across a range of age groups, along with a round of the southern west coast North Island young handlers’ competition, an open event for handlers from ages 12 to 21 competed for across a number of shows.
This year’s Stratford show has the second running of the Beledene Shield competition, which is judged across all breeds by any certified judge there on the day, to find the premier dairy cow at the show. Named after sponsors of the Revell family’s Beledene Stud, it has a prize pool of $6500.
Individual breed classes are held on the Saturday, with an all-breeds day, including the Beledene Shield on the Sunday.
There is also an equestrian competition on Friday afternoon before the show itself, along with other competitions including shearing, dog trials and farriering.
As well as more than 200 trade stalls, there will be the usual food and entertainment available, as well as a children’s zone and vintage machinery exhibits.
The event is at the Stratford A & P Showgrounds.
The Whangarei A & P Show, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary, is on December 5, with shearing and woodchopping taking centre stage.
It’s been more than 30 years since shearing was last held at the show, with woodchopping back after an absence of four years.
Whangarei A & P Society chief executive Chris Mason says heritage sports such as shearing and woodchopping have played an important role in New Zealand history.
“Competitions like these recognise the tremendous skill and physical prowess of today’s shearing and woodchopping athletes. Not only are the competitors super fit, their talent and skill levels are eye-catching for spectators,” he said.
The Whangarei show, at Barge Showgrounds, will be the first of the 2020-21 shearing sports season, which will see nine competitions in the Northern region.
