MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 11 November 2011
For immediate release

A wedding, champion pony and rugby cup…

The final day of the Canterbury A&P Show saw 60,000 plus people through the gates enjoying everything from a wedding, an In Hand Pony winning the top Showing prize and the opportunity to have a photo taken with the Webb Ellis Cup.

Total visitor numbers for the three days are estimated at 100,000. Despite inclement weather on Wednesday, the rain clouds moved on for the Thursday and Friday with Cantabrians coming out in droves to attend the country’s largest Agricultural and Pastoral Show.

Wedding On Show
Christchurch couple Jemma and Adam said ‘I Do’ this morning at the Canterbury A&P Show, in front of a packed crowd of Show visitors as well as their 80 invited wedding guests. The couple were the winners of a $26,000 wedding prize package organised by the Canterbury A&P Show and MORE FM Canterbury. As part of the prize package the couple were flown by a Helipro helicopter following the ceremony to Terrace Downs for their wedding night.

Shearing
The Shearing Section hosted three international tests with a team of seven travelling from Australia to compete in Woolhandling, Blade and Machine shearing. Much to the chagrin of Show crowds the Australians took two of the titles.
New Zealand vs Australia Woolhandling Test (held Thursday 10 November) - Australia
New Zealand vs Australia Blade Shearing Test (held Friday 11 November) - New Zealand
New Zealand vs Australia Machine Shearing Test (held Friday 11 November) - Australia

Livestock/Equestrian
The 2011 Supreme Champion Animal of Show was awarded to the Supreme Champion In Hand Pony, handler JR Cooper, horse Maxwellton Penelope Pitstop. The prestigious Award is the culmination of three days of judging with the best of the best Supreme Champion entrants from horse, sheep, cattle, alpaca, llama, poultry, donkey, mule and goat contenders for the top title.

Edifice Homes Auction on site for charity
Edifice Homes auctioned off a ‘pod’ that they have been building on site for the past week. The auction took place at the Canterbury A&P Show with the pod being sold for $29,000. Profits from the auction (approximately $5000) will go to Movember (men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men).

The Amazing Quake Race – in association with Air New Zealand
Four teams of four battled it out in a charity race involving an earthquake related obstacle course at today’s Show.
The teams included Fulton Hogan, Christchurch Young Farmers, Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and Urban Search and Rescue. The objective of the race was to be the first team to create a stunning portaloo enclosure at the far end of the course with a safety walkway leading up to it. Christchurch Young Farmers were the winning team; they received $2000 to donate to the charity of their choice courtesy of Air New Zealand. Young Farmers nominated charity is St Johns.

Show Favorites
It may be in its thirteenth year but the Shetland Grand National is still a favourite with Show visitors. Eight ponies and their riders made four laps of the StableMate Arena in this very special steeple style race. The Shetland Ponies in today’s race ranged in height from 10hh (101.6cm) to the maximum height of 10.2hh (106.68cm). Lucy Turner and her pony Stormy won the race in sensational fashion which at one point had a rider-less pony in the field. Stormy has excellent racing form and great sprinting power, due to his many wins he started off the 10 metre mark as a handicap. The race was followed by the Ballantynes Grand Parade, a showcase of the best of the best animals at Show with prize winners across most livestock and equestrian sections parading their ribbons, led by the Caledonian Pipe Band.

In 2012 the Canterbury A&P Association will be celebrating its 150th Show, to be held Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch.

-ENDS-

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