Texel lamb crowned as best in the country

Texel lamb crowned as best in the country

Ashburton farmer Paul Gardner took out the 2014 Mint Lamb Competition at the Canterbury A&P Show on November 12. His Texel lamb was judged as the country’s best lamb from paddock to plate.

Farmers from throughout New Zealand were invited to showcase their quality lamb and compete in the competition that celebrates the quality and variety of lamb available in New Zealand with a focus on increasing consumption of one of the country’s largest export earners.

Lambs were judged on the hook at an Alliance plant for Best Overall Yield. The top four lambs in each class (dual purpose,
dual purpose/cross terminal, composite/crossbred cross terminal and terminal) were selected as semi-finalists and sent to be Tender Tested at Lincoln University. Based on the result of the Tender Test, the top three lambs in each class were selected as finalists. All finalists were Taste Tested at the 2014 Canterbury A&P Show to decide the overall winner of the Mint Lamb Competition.

The cuts of meat were cooked by leading New Zealand chef Graham Hawkes and taste tested in front of Show crowds. Judges included Ross Thomson (Alliance Group), Ed Marfell (Hazlett Rural Limited), Richard Parkes (President, Canterbury A&P Show) and former winner of the competition Hugh Taylor.

Paul Gardner’s lamb was judged the best out of a field of 80 entries and was awarded the Alliance Group Mint Lamb Trophy, $1000 and a 2.5 litre Zolvix & Novartis Back Pack and Spray Gun Applicator. Winners in each class were awarded 1st $300 and a Novartis Back Pack and Spray Gun Applicator, 2nd $150 and 3rd $100. The Agent/Drafter of the winning lamb received a boxed set of Gold Medal winning wine from the International Aromatic Wine Competition.

Overall Winner – Paul Gardner, Ashburton
Winning Drafter – Geoff Wright, Hazlett Rural Limited
Class 1 - Dual Purpose/Wool Breed
1st Terry and Maria Bamford (Hawarden), 2nd Neville Petrie (Rangiora), 3rd Graeme Bell (Leeston)
Class 2 - Dual Purpose/Cross Terminal
1st Ian Carr (Ashburton), 2nd John Costello (Waikari), 3rd Murray Smith (Rangiora)
Class 3 - Composite/Crossbred Cross Terminal
1st Kevin Carr (Kemeu), 2nd Marty Kelly (Waiau), 3rd Gordon Fulton (Rangiora)
Class 4 - Terminal
1st Kevin Carr (Kumeu), 2nd Paul Gardner (Ashburton), 3rd Alister Brosnan (Rangiora)

There was no entry fee for the competition; proceeds from the gift lambs will be credited to the Canterbury A&P Association to support the development of the Canterbury A&P Show.

-ENDS-

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