Friday at the Show

It is as Canterbury as red and black, Canterbury Anniversary Day or Showday as it is known throughout the region is people’s day at the Canterbury A&P Show. The official holiday for the anniversary day of the province was shifted from 16 December (the date of the arrival of the First Four Ships) to the Friday of the Show back in the 1950’s. The change meant a holiday for banks and businesses giving people from both town and country the opportunity to attend the Canterbury A&P Show.

The Show has since grown to New Zealand’s largest Agricultural and Pastoral Show, with over 60,000 people expected to attend Showday today.

Judging Highlights
8.30-11.25am Showjumping – Main Arena
9.30-9.45am Supreme Champion Pony – Isaac 1 Arena
10.30am The Lady Isaac Scholarship (Cattle & Sheep) – Alliance NZ Sheep Pavilion & The ANZ Lawn
11.00-11.25am Supreme Champion Horse – Main Arena
12.30pm Heartland Young Auctioneers Competition – The ANZ Lawn
1.00pm Guess the Weight competition winner announced – The ANZ Lawn
12.00pm Veteran Herdspersons Competition – The ANZ Lawn
2.00pm New Zealand vs Australia Blade Shearing Test – Shearing Pavilion
3.30pm NZ Corriedale Blade & Machine Final – Shearing Pavilion

Entertainment Highlights
11.15 & 1.30pm Mandy Pickering and Band - MORE FM Stage, Village Green
11.25am SuperValue and FreshChoice Lolly Scramble – Main Arena
12.15 & 4.00pm Moorhouse - MORE FM Stage, Village Green
2.30pm 150th Anniversary Equestrian Parade – Main Arena
2.35pm Royal Visit
3.15pm Shetland Grand National – Main Arena
3.25pm Supreme Champion Animal of Show – Main Arena
3.30pm Ballantynes Grand Parade led by the Canterbury Caledonian Pipe Band – Main Arena
4.00pm Eukanuba Dog Trial Demonstration – Main Arena

Showjumping
This year’s showjumping programme includes some highlight events on Friday morning. The Horse Speed Championship (approx. 9.30am) is a great showjumping event that is easy for the general public to follow. Riders and their horses tackle the course, racing against the clock with time penatlies incurred for knocking over rails. With most riders expected to clear the course in 60 seconds, spectators will be on the edge of their seats as they follow the time clock. The Ballantynes Grand Prix follows this event (approx. 10.30am) and includes some top placed New Zealand riders and horses. Ross Smith will be riding Quite Cassini, a world cup qualifier and Susie Hawyard will be riding Andretti, who has also accumulated word cup points.

The Lady Isaac Scholarship
Thanks to the generous support of Isaac Construction, The Lady Isaac Scholarship enables the top placed New Zealand competitor to travel to Australia to compete at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in the New South Wales Junior Judging Competition. The competition is held over the sheep, beef and dairy cattle sections at the 150th Canterbury A&P Show.

Heartland Young Auctioneers Competition
The Canterbury A&P Association is hosting the inaugural Heartland Young Auctioneers Competition. The competition aims to showcase and develop young auctioneers and improve the standard of auctioneering across the board. During the judging, which includes a test of auction rules and a mock auction, each entrant will be required to sell two lots of heifers/bulls. The stock will be valued prior to the auction by stud agents and entrants will be given 24 hours’ notice of lots to sell and access to the breeder. They will be judged on overall performance including voice, diction, manner and values.

Guess the Weight
A rather large Charolais and Friesian Cross Steer has made his home at this year’s Canterbury A&P Show. He has been on display on The ANZ Lawn with Show visitors having the chance to guess his weight to win a fishing charter trip for 12 at Motunau Island. All proceeds will go to Abreast of Life, a team of breast cancer survivors. Two years ago the beast topped the scales at the Prime Cattle Competition at 1234kg.

Veteran Herdspersons Competition
The Veterans Herdspersons Competition is in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Show. The competition is open to exhibitors of any age, who are required to be dressed in period costume as they lead their beef animal in a parade. The presiding judge is Barbara Lemon the First Lady of the Canterbury A&P Association.

New Zealand vs Australia Blade Shearing Test
The Shearing Section at the Canterbury A&P Show will be hosting an international test with a team of shearers travelling from Australia to compete in blade shearing.

Shetland Grand National
A highlight of the racing calendar, this long standing event sees eleven ponies and jockeys taking to the field, steeplechase style. The event has built a strong following in Canterbury and has grown to be one of the main attractions at the Show.

Supreme Champion Animal of Show
The Award is the culmination of three days of judging with the best of the best Supreme Champion entrants from horse, sheep, cattle, alpaca, llama, donkey/mule and goat battling it out for the top title. The 2011 Supreme Champion Animal of Show was awarded to the Supreme Champion In Hand Pony.

Ballantynes Grand Parade
The Ballantynes Grand Parade is a showcase of the best of the best with prize winners across most livestock and equestrian sections parading their ribbons in the Main Arena, led by the Canterbury Caledonian Royal Stewart and Balmoral Pipe Bands.

Royal Visit
Canterbury welcomes The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to the 150th Canterbury A&P Show. Their Royal Highnesses are visiting New Zealand to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The 2012 Canterbury A&P Show will be held Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch. It is the largest A&P Show in the country attracting over 100,000 people, close to 7000 livestock and feature competition entries and 600 trade exhibitors.

-ENDS-

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