MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 15 November 2013

For immediate release

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 – COUNTRY TV Isaac 1 Arena
10.30am                  The Lady Isaac Scholarship (Cattle & Sheep) – Alliance NZ Sheep Arena & The ANZ Lawn
11.00-11.25am       Supreme Champion Horse – Main Arena
12.30pm                  Heartland Bank Young Auctioneers Competition – The ANZ Lawn
3.30pm                    NZ Corriedale Blade & Machine Final – Shearing Pavilion

Entertainment Highlights
11am & 1.45pm      X Factor’s Jackie Thomas – Main Arena
11.25am                  Lolly Scramble – Main Arena
3.15pm                    Shetland Grand National – Main Arena
3.25pm                    Supreme Champion Animal of Show – Main Arena
3.40pm                    Ballantynes Grand Parade led by the Canterbury Caledonian Pipe Band – Main Arena
4.00pm                    Pony Club Games – 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 penalties 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 top placed New Zealand riders and horses, including world cup qualifier Susie Hayward who will be riding Andretti.

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 2013 Canterbury A&P Show.   

Heartland Bank Young Auctioneers Competition
The Canterbury A&P Association is hosting the second year of the Heartland Bank 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. Entrants will be judged on overall performance including voice, diction, manner and values. Prior to the prize giving, last year’s winner Glenn Peddie will auction off a 2 year old bull kindly donated by exhibitors George Climo and Garry Carter with all proceeds going towards the development of the Youth Competitions at the Canterbury A&P Show.

Shetland Grand National
A highlight of the racing calendar, this long standing event sees eight 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. Stormy, winner of three Shetland Grand Nationals, is tipped as race favourite.

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 2012 Supreme Champion Animal of Show was awarded to the Supreme Champion Dairy Cow.

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.

This year’s Canterbury A&P Show will be held Wednesday 13 to Friday 15 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch. It is the largest A&P Show in the country attracting 100,000 people, close to 6000 livestock and feature competition entries and 550 trade exhibitors. 

ENDS

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