SATURDAY
FEBRUARY
17
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM
SOLWAY SHOWGROUNDS
MASTERTON highland games
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EAST COAST REGIONAL
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full programme for the show Proudly brought to you by:
INSIDE
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Behind Copthorne, Solway Park, Wairarapa, just a stone’s throw away from the showgrounds! T H E G R I L L S O L W A Y. C O . N Z
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KURIPUNI, MASTERTON APACHEJACKS.CO.NZ (06) 377 0405 2 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
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Greetings Contents 3 4 6 7 8
Welcome to our 131st annual A & P Show – the year has gone quickly and we have put last year’s inclement weather behind us as we look forward to a well-deserved sunny day.
Greetings Programme Show Map Free family fun Highland Games
You’ll once again be able to get up and personal with all the livestock you want to see and this year we have two special events which will provide plenty of entertainment for all ages. We are hosting a full day of Highland Games. All things Scottish will be on display including Scottish cattle breeds - Angus, Highland and Galloway cattle which will compete for a Special Tartan Sash and trophy. We will again hold the Solway Tug O’ War which proved very popular last year. There will be a Scottish Pipe band and a line-up of competitions for the public to join AND Scottish themed baking in the Home Industries Section.
FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR 9
12 14 15 16
FMG Young Farmer of the Year East Coast Regional Final Timetable Ultimate Rural Challenge Competitors Wairarapa Students Join Young Farmers Compere Te Radar
17 18 18 19 20 22 23
Fun competitions for dogs More beef entries Miniature Equestrian Swiss Sheep Patron - Home Industries Kiwi jazz icon Home Industries
10 11
Then there’s the Valais Sheep – a new to New Zealand breed which will be shown for the first time here in New Zealand. The Swiss bred progeny have been imported into the country and already there is a huge fan base due to their cute factor … check out our Facebook page! Bring your picnic gear or drop by our food vendors – the park is looking great and there’s plenty of shelter under the trees for picnic rugs and chairs. There’s plenty of free entertainment for the youngsters, and the not so young, Rodger Fox is back and we also have the Kahutara Municipal Brass Band and jazz and the Fern & Thistle Scottish Band - plenty to see and hear.
A & P Show still represents value for a great family day out – we’ve worked to keep the prices down at the gate to ensure the event remains a firm favourite on your calendar.
So enjoy a day of animals, entertainment and lots of trade sites all together on the same day. We believe our Masterton
Peter McWilliam President Masterton A&P Association
Nutritious and Delicious
PROUD TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY BUY FROM THE BLUE CRATES
3
Programme 8.00am
gate open
Judds Road for public – cash only entry. Fleet/York gate open for public access with cars – cash or EFTPOS. The Judds Road gate open for public
8.00am
access for cars and pedestrians only – late horse and animal traffic to use SH 1 entry gate further down the road.
FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition
The
begins in the centre oval.
9.00am onwards The
Equestrian events begin
as do the dairy cows and calves, special Highland Cattle section, beef, sheep and pig
judging also gets underway.
9.30am onwards free children’s entertainment
4 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
9.30am
Home Industries exhibition Visit the
under the grandstand – amazing cakes, produce, jams and more…. See sheep breeds & dairy cows, beef & calves, including the new and very cute Valais breed sheep on show here in New Zealand for the very first time.
10am Highland
games commence... accompanied
by the Fern & Thistle Pipe Band…Highland dancing, Scottish cattle breeds and competitions to enter.
11am
Show off your
showy dog.
All types of dogs (on a leash) put their best paw forward.
11.30am Terriers Race
– watch those tearaway terriers outrun each other in front of the Grandstand.
11.30am
The Rodger Fox Big Band entertains.
12.30 - 1.30pm
Lunch
– bring your own picnic and sit under the trees … or visit our many food vendors on site.
noon - 2pm Highland Games
BATTLE OF SOLWAY - $1000 winner take all Tug o’ War competition plus ute pull, wine barrel roll, archery, hammer throw, gumboot toss, farmers walk and egg throw and catch.
1.30 - 4pm Vintage car display
,
antique Fire Engine and Landau on site.
2 - 3pm Highland Games 3.30 - 5pm 5.30 - 6pm
continue to roll….
Young Farmers
competition concludes.
Close
for another year
A fun, affordable family day out! EFTPOS AVAILABLE at York/Fleet Street entrance CASH ONLY at Judds Road entrance
Adults $10 Child (under 13) $5 Under 5s free $30 Family Bring a
picnic
traditional
kids games
food & wine stalls home industries
& more animals an imals
equestrian events trade show live
music
kids entertainment is FREE face painting, kids fun zone
facebook.com/
mastertonshow 5
MASTERTON A&P SHOW MAP LIVESTOCK ENTRANCE 2
H HIS GTH ST
LIVESTOCK ENTRANCE 1
LIVESTOCK ENTRANCE 2
JUDDS RD
LIVESTOCK ENTRANCE 1
HIG
JUDDS RD
PRACTICE RING
GS2
PRACTICE RING
GS2
WARM-UP RING WARM-UP RING
PRESIDENT’S OVAL PRESIDENT’S OVAL
SOLWAY OVAL HUNTER PADDOCK SHOW
SOLWAY OVAL
HUNTER PADDOCK SHOW
RING 3 SHOWJUMPING
RING 3 SHOWJUMPING
SHOWING PADDOCK
SHOWING PADDOCK
FLEET ST
PUBLIC
FLEET ST
ANIMALS
ANIMALSDAIRY CATTLE
YORK SYTORK ST
PUBLIC
ENTERTAINMENT FAMILY PICNIC ZONE ENTERTAINMENT
DAIRY BEEF CATTLE CATTLE
FAMILY PICNIC KIDS FUN ZONEZONE
BEEF CATTLE HORSES CLYDESDALE CLYDESDALE HORSES MINIATURE HORSES SHEEP MINIATURE HORSES PIGS SHEEP
ENTRANCE
ENTRANCE
PARKING
P P
PUBLIC PARKING PARKING
BUILDINGS ROADS
KIDS FUN ZONE KIOSK CAFE
EXHIBITOR PARKING MOBILITY PARKING
ROADS TOILETS
KIOSK CAFE BEER SALES
MOBILITY PARKING STOCK TRUCK PARKING
TOILETS GATES ENTRANCE
BEER SALES TRADES ALLEY
STOCK TRUCK PARKING EQUESTRIAN PARKING
TRADES ALLEY HOME INDUSTRIES
PUBLICEQUESTRIAN FACILITIES PARKING
HOME INDUSTRIES
PUBLIC FACILITIES
FIREWAGON & LANDAU
POULTRY DOGS
FIBRE / MEMORABILIA FIREWAGON & LANDAU DISPLAY
ALPACAS POULTRY
FIBRE / MEMORABILIA VINTAGE MACHINES DISPLAY
6 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
BUILDINGS INFRASTRUCTURE
PUBLIC PARKING EXHIBITOR PARKING
DOGS PIGS
ALPACAS
INFRASTRUCTURE
VINTAGE MACHINES
ENTRANCE GATES
JUDGING ZONES
BEEF JUDGING
JUDGING ZONES
DAIRY BEEFJUDGING JUDGING
DAIRY JUDGING EQUESTRIAN EQUESTRIAN ZONE
EQUESTRIAN
FOOD TRUCKS ZONE EQUESTRIAN
FOOD TRUCKS
Heaps of free family fun For just the price of an entry ticket, visitors to this year’s Trust House Masterton A&P Show will enjoy a full day of entertainment. Families in particular will be well-catered for with free entertainment and plenty at the Show for the whole family to see and do. Centre of the family-friendly activities will be the lovely area behind the Grandstand where families can picnic under the shade of century old native trees. The historic kiosk nearby will be turned into a café for the day. Also close-by will be the Kids Entertainment Zone with entertainment company PromoKing bringing some of its favourite children’s activities including a Mission Impossible Obstacle Course, Pink Panther Slide, Large Castle and 5 N 1 Carnival games, all of which are free. Other children’s entertainment includes face painting, tooting train rides, stilt walkers and the Mauriceville Volunteer Fire Brigade’s water slide and other water entertainment. From the picnic area families can venture out to discover animal judging, the avenue of trade stands, vintage displays, home industries, live music, food & wine and more.
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Highland games bring Scottish flavour to the show There will be a decidedly Scottish flavour to this year’s Trust House Masterton A & P Show. Following the popularity of the Tug of War competition last year, this year the Masterton A & P Society has decided to expand this into a full day of Highland Games. Society President Peter McWilliams comes from Scotland himself, north of Inverness, and he has organised a line-up of competitions that, along with the tug-ofwar, will include a ute pull, wine barrel roll, archery, hammer throw, gumboot toss, egg throw and catch, and “farmers walk” where contestants carry heavy objects over an obstacle course. There will also be a pentathlon of five of the events. Rugby clubs and other groups have been invited to enter teams for the games. But it doesn’t stop there. There will be Scottish pipe band music from the Fern & Thistle band, and Scottish themed baking in the Home Industries section including Dundee cakes and shortbread which
will be judged by Peter’s sister Alice-Ann Jackson. Naturally, given Peter’s background as a beef stud breeder, there is going to be judging of Scottish Beef Animal of the show, which includes the breeds Angus, Highland and Galloway which will compete against each other for a Special Tartan Sash and Trophy.
Dance, and Highland Fling. “I can remember how my brother used to dance in his sailors suit and twirling his baton.” Marilyn gave up highland dancing as an adult but came out of retirement for the Edinburgh Tattoo in Wellington in 2000 as part of a mass dance group.
Older visitors will recall when Highland dancing was a feature of every Masterton A & P show. Masterton resident Marilyn Bouzaid has pleasant memories of competing, along with her brother and two sisters. “I remember it was always very hot in our kilts.” The stage was always sited near the Fleet Street entrance to the showgrounds and Marilyn recalls the competitions included Irish jigs, Sailor’s Hornpipe, the Sword
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Young farmers ready to rumble at EAST COAST FINAL this Saturday Masterton is the venue for the first regional final for FMG Young Farmer of the Year 2018. The daytime practical events for the East Coast final are being held at Solway Showgrounds this Saturday as part of the Trust House Masterton A&P Show, with the evening show at Wairarapa College. There are seven Regional Finals with East Coast covering Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast regions. The East Coast finalists are among around 350 New Zealand Young Farmer members from throughout New Zealand who have competed in 21 District Finals between October and December last year. Two of the eight East Coast finalists will have home ground advantage. Brandon Giddens manages an intensive sheep and beef operation at Carterton, while Richard Falloon manages his family’s farm in Masterton which runs Angus cattle and a Coopworth sheep stud. A number of Wairarapa primary schools will be competing in the East Coast regional finals of AgriKidsNZ and secondary schools in the TeenAg East Coast regional finals throughout the day as well. East Coast is the first of seven regional finals being held throughout New Zealand to decide contestants for the Grand Final of the prestigious competition in Invercargill in July. This is guaranteed to be a spectatorfriendly event, especially the AgriSports Head-to-Head Challenges at 10.30am and 1pm, which will see the eight contestants come together and battle it out side-byside in an agriculture-related task in front of a cheering crowd – judged on speed, skill and stamina, and penalised for health & safety infringements. During the daytime competitions the contestants won’t know what the tasks are beforehand. These cover anything and everything to do with agribusiness from livestock and machinery to horticulture and cooking. On Saturday evening mental agility will come to the fore with the eight taking part in a quiz-style format at the Wairarapa College auditorium, 83 Pownall St, Masterton from 6.30pm (tickets $67). A cool head and quick wits are essential as contestants are tested on general and farm knowledge as well as public speaking – all under the watchful eye of a live audience. Once the scores are tallied, the Regional Final winner will be announced who will then go on to represent East Coast at the Grand Final in Invercargill in July. 9
TIMETABLE FRIDAY EVENING 7.00pm
AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge (50 min exam)
SATURDAY DAY-TIME 8.00am
10.30am 11.00am
12.00pm 12.30pm
1.00pm
RAVENSDOWN
MASSEY UNIVERSITY
Agri-Skills Challenge (30 min per module)
Agri-Growth Challenge (interview)
AgriKids NZ Preliminaries
TeenAg Preliminiaries
AGRI-SPORTS
BREAK
Head to Head Challenge
10.20am-11.00am
RAVENSDOWN
MASSEY UNIVERSITY
Agri-Skills Challenge (30 min per module)
Agri-Growth Challenge (interview)
LUNCH RAVENSDOWN
MASSEY UNIVERSITY
Agri-Skills Challenge (30 min per module)
Agri-Growth Challenge (interview)
AgriKids NZ Preliminaries
TeenAg Preliminiaries
AGRI-SPORTS Head to Head Challenge
1.30pm
AGRI-SPORTS ENDS (15min break) Regional Finalists go to Judge AgriKidsNZ
TOP TEAMS ANNOUNCEMENT 1.40pm
1.45pm
AGRIKIDSNZ RACE-OFF
2.30pm
TEENAG FACE-OFF
3.00pm
TEENAG/AGRIKIDS NZ PRIZE-GIVING
SATURDAY NIGHT MERIDIAN ENERGY AGRI-KNOWLEDGE QUIZ EVENING SHOW 5.30pm Doors Open, 6.30pm Quiz Show 7.45pm Dinner
8.30pm Award Ceremony 9.30pm Band Start
10 FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL
New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ULTIMATE RURAL CHALLENGE reaches half century
2017 YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR NIGEL WOODHEAD This year marks the 50th anniversary of FMG Young Farmer of the Year - the iconic agricultural competition which was first held in 1969. FMG Young Farmer of the Year continues to be held in high esteem among the rural community and every year up to 300 contestants battle it out for the top spot. The first regional final was held in a small hall at the former Lincoln College and broadcast live on radio. The hall was packed and contestants from throughout Canterbury answered questions about a bemused sheep that was on stage.
Practical field activities were later added to the contest to ensure the competition represented all-round farming ability and skills. The first contest was won by Gary Frazer of Tasman who won a return airfare to Australia and $500 cash. Today contestants vie for over $300,000 in prizes from a strong family of 10 sponsors. Throughout New Zealand 22 district finals are held between October and December with the top contestants progressing through to their local Regional Final which are held from February to April. The seven top regional finalists become the grand finalists and will battle it out
YOUR
WAIRARAPA WIDE
HONDA AND NISSAN
in July in Invercargill for the title of FMG Young Farmer of the Year. Contestants are put through a diverse range of practical, theoretical and technical farming challenges. The level of complexity and difficulty increases as the contestants progress from districts to regionals and finally to the grand final. This is a full-on, two-day event that includes all the hands-on competition plus technical elements such as an interview and an HR challenge. The contestants must also deliver a convincing speech on a topic specific to them.
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COMPETITORS
Hamish Duff DANNEVIRKE
Patrick Crawshaw Richard Falloon TAKAPAU MASTERTON
This is Hamish’s first regional final, but the Dannevirke shepherd is no stranger to competitions. In 2017 he was named Tararua Shepherd of the Year. The 26-year-old grew up in town, but started training as a cadet at Smedley Station in 2010. Tragedy struck in 2012 when Hamish suffered severe injuries in a car crash, requiring half his face to be reconstructed. He’s currently studying Level 5 Production Management through PrimaryITO. Hamish and his fiancé Jenna Thomas have a four-year-old son named Carter.
Patrick got a behind-thescenes glimpse at the gruelling nature of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in 2017, where he spent time as runner-up Hamish Best’s official bag carrier. The competitive hockey player works with fellow contestant Hugh Abbiss. The 24-year-old has also taken on a governance role managing a 730-hectare family-owned sheep and beef property north of Wairoa. He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) majoring in farm management and was married in January. Patrick joined NZ Young Farmers in 2013 and has been vicechairman of the Dannevirke club.
Richard manages his family’s 145 hectare drystock farm in Masterton. The hilly property runs angus cattle and is home to a coopworth sheep stud. Prior to returning to Wairarapa in 2016, Richard worked as a stock manager at Lake Heron Station in Mid Canterbury a 30,000-hectare property carrying 14,000 stock units. In his spare time the 28-year-old enjoys diving, hunting, riding motorbikes, rugby and horse riding. During his time in Mid Canterbury Richard served as chairman of Foothills Young Farmers. This is his first time competing in a regional final.
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12 FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL
Rob Barry TAKAPAU Growing up Rob had to be bribed with lollipops to go out on the farm. Now the former ski instructor couldn’t imagine a better career. The 25-year-old works as a 2IC for his family-owned BEL Group, which operates nine dairy farms in central Hawke’s Bay milking 9500 cows. Rob lives in the house he grew up in, returning home after working in Canada, England, Switzerland, Germany, Norway and France. He proposed to his wife Alison on top of Trolltunga, a spectacular scenic cliff in Norway. This is Rob’s first regional final. His late father Peter Barry took out the Young Farmer of the Year title in 1993. Rob and Alison are expecting their second child in April.
Belvedere Road, Carterton (06) 379 8044 sales@massons.co.nz
Ben Thomas NAPIER
Brandon Giddens CARTERTON
Hugh Abbiss WAIPUKURAU
Robbie Hill HASTINGS
Ben was raised on a central Hawke’s Bay apple orchard. The 27-year-old is now a stock manager at Rissington Station. The Napier cattle stud has 700 breeding and embryo transfer cows, plus bulls and 4500 hoggets. Ben has a competitive streak and enjoys taking part in dog trials. He’ll get the opportunity to work on cattle studs in Australia later this year as part of a NZ Angus Association scholarship. This is his second regional final. Ben and his wife Steph recently became first-time parents.
Standing at 6’7” tall, Brandon can reach most things in high places. This is the 26-year-old’s first attempt at the contest. He fought off his partner Olivia Boo and brother Daniel to clinch a spot in the regional final. Brandon graduated from Telford Rural Polytechnic in 2010. He now manages an intensive 330-hectare farm in Masterton, finishing beef cattle and running 3300 hoggets. Brandon spent the summers of 2013-2014 driving tractors in Canada for a business which exported hay to China.
Hugh is used to pacing himself, having completed 10 full marathons. The 25-year-old has a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) majoring in farm management from Lincoln University. In 2014 he and a friend jumped on a plane to Europe, visiting 24 farms in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and France. Hugh is the operations manager at Foley Farming Enterprises in central Hawke’s Bay. The 1200-hectare farm he manages has 2500 breeding ewes and finishes 32,000 lambs. Fellow contestant Patrick Crawshaw is one of Hugh’s workmates. This is their second time going headto-head in a regional final.
A former competitive snowboarder, Robbie has travelled to about 40 countries. The Lincoln University graduate has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and has spent time driving a combine harvester in Australia, working on a ranch in Canada and helping run a dairy farm in Scotland. The 26-year-old is now an independent soil consultant who rears 600 bull calves on his own. Robbie also works part-time on his family’s 650-hectare property west of Hastings which finishes 1000 bulls, 10,000 lambs and 250 velveting stags. He isn’t afraid of confined spaces after living in a van for six months with six other guys while travelling around Europe.
13
Wairarapa students to test their farming skills
age and skill appropriate. Each activity lasts for six minutes and teams are scored out of 50 points. These activities are fun, educational, and require teamwork. The top seven teams then qualify for the ‘Race-Off’ where they compete side by side in a series of fun and practical activities to become the AgriKidsNZ champions for their region. The top three teams from each region are invited to compete at the Grand Final.
It won’t be just the eight East Coast Regional finalists who will be tested on Saturday. The East Coast Regional finals for AgriKidsNZ and TeenAg will also be held throughout the day with the winners going on to compete at the Grand Final in Invercargill in July, run alongside the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
Last year New Zealand Young Farmers managed to get 564 primary school kids through the programme, up six per cent from the year before. TeenAg, established in 2009, is a step up from the AgriKidsNZ competition with more challenging tasks. Teams of two take part in eight activities that test a wide range of agricultural knowledge from theory to hands-on skills which parallel activities on-farm and are age and skill appropriate. Each activity lasts for six minutes and teams are scored out of 50 points. These activities are fun, educational, and require teamwork.
Among the local schools participating are Rathkeale, Wairarapa, Tinui and Pahiatua. AgriKidsNZ is for primary school children and TeenAg for secondary school children. The aim is to promote the fun side of agriculture while children develop valuable skills and build friendships. They don’t need to come off a farm - just have a love for the land and be keen to get their hands dirty. The preliminary rounds will run from 8am to 1pm with the AgriKidsNZ “Race-Off” at 1.45pm and TeenAg “Face-Off” at 2.30pm, and the prize-giving for both at 3pm. In the preliminaries, eight teams compete in each round, with up to six rounds, depending on how many entries there are. Established in 2005, AgriKidsNZ sees teams of three compete in eight activities that test a wide range of agricultural knowledge from theory to hands-on skills, which parallel activities on-farm and are
The top five teams then qualify for the ‘Face-Off’, competing side-by-side to construct a certain task within 20 minutes. In 2017, they had to build a maimai. The top two teams from each region are officially invited to compete at the Grand Final. Last year New Zealand Young Farmers managed to get 422 high school kids through the programme, up 27% from 2016.
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14 FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL
Interest in rural living - all you need to join Young Farmers To join Young Farmers, you only need to be aged from 15 to 31 and have an interest in the primary industries.
Wairarapa Young Farmers club which is based in Masterton, South Wairarapa Young Farmers Club which meets in Greytown and the Taratahi club which is based at the Taratahi campus. All clubs meet once a month and always have social, fundraising or educational activities planned.
Members are involved in a range of professions including dairy, sheep & beef, agricultural contracting, banking, engineering, forestry, butchery, teaching and lifestyle farming.
New Zealand Young Farmers also runs AgriKidsNZ for primary school children and TeenAg for secondary school children. AgriKidsNZ and TeenAg are initiatives to introduce young people to the world of agriculture.
There are over 70 clubs situated around New Zealand and each club has its own identity and community spirit, backed by the national organisation.
It gives them the idea that agriculture is not just about becoming a farmer. There are huge opportunities in finance, animal health and science research, for example.
You make friends for life, network with like-minded individuals and develop your personal and practical skills by organising and participating in meetings, events, social activities and competitions.
To find out more about the two Wairarapa clubs contact:
New Zealand Young Farmers are committed to contributing to the agrisector by providing support for rural youth and personal development through collaboration with partners in the primary industries. There are three Wairarapa clubs -
WAIRARAPA YOUNG FARMERS CLUB Chair: Chelsea Shaw P 027 328 9647 E wairarapayoungfarmers@gmail.com SOUTH WAIRARAPA YOUNG FARMERS CLUB Chair: Brodie Nichols P 027 774 4501 E nicholls.b@hotmail.com TARATAHI YOUNG FARMERS CLUB Please contact Taratahi campus for more information on this club P 0800 TARATAHI E info@taratahi.ac.nz
AGRIKIDSNZ & TEENAG Contact: Casey Huffstutler P 027 213 0043 E casey.huffstutler@youngfarmers.co.nz
University of Wairere Since 1965 Wairere has had a proud history of providing a training ground for hundreds of young farmers. The learning and experience they have gained has benefited themselves and the primary sector.WAIRERE
Class of 2018: Sam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fee, Arthur Acland, Matt Watson and farm manager Anna Vaughan
Making your sheepfarming easier and more profitable www.wairererams.co.nz | 0800 WAIRERE (0800 924 7373)) 15
Dispatches from Young Farmers compere Te Radar Comedian and media personality Te Radar will compere the Regional finals of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year, AgriKidsNZ Race-Off and TeenAg FaceOff at the Trust House Masterton A&P Show, as well as hosting the Evening Show at Wairarapa College. Te Radar is an award-winning satirist, documentary maker, writer, stage and screen director, failed gardener, and amateur historian. Growing up on his family’s Waikato dairy farm, he has a life-long connection with farming and living off the land as exemplified in television series Off the Radar about sustainable living for which he spent 10 months attempting to subsist off a small allocation of land. Is this your first time working with Young Farmers and are you doing all the finals around New Zealand for this year? This is my second year travelling the country like some kind of itinerant question-asker to host all of the Regional finals and the Grand final. It’s great to be able to develop a relationship with the contestants in the provinces, then follow them to the grand final as it helps to lend a sense of camaraderie to the proceedings as we progress through to crowning the winner. Unfortunately they do not have an actual crown, but a very hallowed cloak of knowledge. You grew up on a Waikato dairy farm, didn’t you? Do you think this gives you an affinity with Young Farmers and the farming community as a whole? Yes, I spent my formative years growing up on a dairy/beef farm in the north Waikato. My parents still have the farm, along with my brother, and I visit regularly to stare at it and ask questions like “Bit dry isn’t it?” or “Pretty wet?”. But, yes, despite being an urban dweller I’m still very connected to the essential ruralness of New Zealand, and most of my work, and touring is in the provinces. Did you ever consider becoming a farmer yourself? All the time. I like to
kid myself that the only reason I wasn’t one was that I didn’t like milking cows, but if I’m more honest I’m hampered by a desire not to work too hard. I’d like to run a small fattening block, but I’m away so much that I don’t have the time required. I can barely maintain my 600 urban square metres. Do you have many farming friends? Well, I know a lot of people who farm from across the generations, so I’ll answer yes to that one. You’ve done a number of series about living off the land. Is that something you feel passionate about? Do you have your own plot of land that you grow things on? Living off the land, as I did and loved doing, is a “nice to have” for most people and it was more of a metaphor. I’m more passionate about where food comes from in general, how it’s produced, and the disconnect that most people now have with that - whether that’s how milk or meat is produced, seasonality, or the sustainability issues associated with needing to feed the projected nine
16 FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR EAST COAST REGIONAL FINAL
billion people while preserving and rehabilitating the land and water used to do so. You did a series “Dispatches from the Provinces” for Radio New Zealand. What are some of the characteristics of rural and provincial New Zealand that you like? I think it’s a bit difficult to characterise rural people across the country. There’s a big difference between an orchardist in Northland and a high country shepherd in the Maniototo, but on the whole people are just people, and are all trying to get on with making their lives the best they can. Anything else you would like to add? The one thing that looking at the things like the Young Farmers competition from the outside misses is the humour and the larger-than-life characters that fill these organisations. They’re a fun group of youngish, driven, passionate types who really are concerned with making a better future for farming.
Fun competitions for dogs and their owners
Dog owners are warmly invited to bring their pets to the Trust House Masterton A & P Show for two fun events catering for dogs and their masters. Around noon there will be terrier racing in front of the grandstand. This event is being organised by Rathkeale College student Archie Woodhouse. Archie joined the Show Committee six months ago as part of his commitment to achieving the Duke Edinburgh Award which includes undertaking services to the community through volunteering. Archie will be organising other Rathkeale students to help out at the Show. “A & P Shows are a big event for rural areas so it seemed like a good thing to be involved in,” Archie says. “It’s been interesting, learning how the show runs.” “Traps” will hold the dogs until the “lure” whizzes by and they are released to chase
it. The lure is attached to a string running along the 50 metres of the course, which is rotated using a bicycle wheel at the start and an upturned bike at the end which is pedalled to move the string along the course. A fun Dog Show, with two classes for working dogs and another two for pet dogs, is scheduled to take place in front of the Grandstand at 11am.
wants to see a nice fun dog that is fun to live with, safe with children, walks calmly on a lead, sits on command, and any tricks they might have in their repertoire. The organisers are hoping to get plenty of entries – entry fees for the pet dog competition will be $2 and the organisers are looking forward to seeing lots of children (or their parents) taking part in this fun event.
For the farm dogs some of the qualities the judge will be looking for are the dogs’ response to commands such as recall, sit and stay and being attentive to the owner both on and off lead. For other working dogs such as German Shepherds, the judge will be expecting to see them show their reach and drive of movement, be confident and alert without any nervousness or shyness. In the two Pet Dog classes, the judge
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Young people motivating more beef entries Last year’s efforts by Lauren Cameron, Cattle Steward for the Beef section of the Trust House Masterton A & P Show, to encourage more entries fulfilled her highest expectations. “Last year we had 10 breeds and 40 entries, twice as many as the year before. We are really excited about that and hope to build on that this year.”
youth into the beef industry. The show is an opportunity for young people to network, develop their practical skills and become more passionate about the industry.”
Lauren recognised that the days of breeders bringing their cattle to the Show in order to find buyers had gone, and so pivoted the section in a different direction, encouraging breeders to exhibit their animals at the Show to promote their breed and to encourage young people into the industry.
“To that end we have strong youth classes such as Best Herdsperson. This is a handler class that assesses the young person’s rapport with their animals - how well they lead and present the animal and themselves.”
“While there is still a lot of pride in showcasing your finest animal, there is also the opportunity to attract and retain
Some of the young entrants are already working on farms while others are students, for example Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre and Rathkeale College who also have a NZ Young Farmers TeenAg club.
Last year 16 year-old Simeon Cook, who has just started up his own Gelbvieh Stud in Taranaki, won “Supreme Animal of the Show” and the prestigious “Meat and Wool Cup” which is awarded to the champion of all the beef champions on the day. “Simeon has already been in touch to let us know he is looking forward to coming along again.” A special feature this year will be a new trophy for best animal from the three Scottish breeds - Highland, Angus and Galloway. Also, keep an eye out for the Pustertal, a rare Italian breed with only around 400 purebred females in the world.
Friendly miniatures an equestrian highlight The Trust House Masterton A & P Show wouldn’t be the same without its equestrian events which run on Saturday and Sunday.
inches in height. They must also have good confirmation, height and movement - in other words, they must be a miniature version of a normal horse.
The Show gets good entries most years, says Entries Secretary Victoria Martin, with many coming from outside Wairarapa, one of the primary attractions being that some of the competitions contribute to Horse of the Year standings. There are three sections - the show jumping and show hunter classes, showing classes, and breed classes.
The first miniature horses only came to New Zealand from Argentina in 1981, says Carterton miniature horse owner Judy Pawson. Since then they have been interbred with other small horse breeds like American Shetlands.
A highlight of the Saturday judging will be the miniature horses. To qualify as a miniature, horses have to be under 38 18 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
Like all horses, miniatures are “flight” animals when frightened so need to be well trained, Judy says. But due most likely to their size and close relationship with their human owners, they tend to be comfortable around humans.
“They are very friendly and great with children. I’m training my little black and white fellow Pip for a therapy career and plan to take him to rest homes and childcare centres.”
Swiss sheep make their New Zealand debut at the Masterton A & P Show Examples of New Zealand’s newest sheep breed will be showing at the Trust House Masterton A & P Show - weather permitting. The Valais Black Nose sheep breed has been in existence since the 15th century in the Valais Mountains of Switzerland. But it wasn’t until 1962 that the breed was recognised as a separate breed. Today there are about 13,000 Valais Black Face registered in the UK. In 2015, Robyn How and Phil Wylie became obsessed with the Valais breed and began the long and arduous task of getting the breed into New Zealand from Britain. With six other members they formed Remarkable Valais Breeding Group, based in Feilding and Woodville, and Robyn and Phil went to meet breeders and attend Valais shows throughout the United Kingdom.
“After deciding on the genetics we wanted, we then imported embryos and semen into New Zealand. Fast forward to August 2017, and we were the first to have Valais lambs on the ground in New Zealand,” Robyn says. The group now has 20 rams and a smaller number of females and will be bringing rams and two wethers to the Show to exhibit – the two wethers will be available for sale. Robyn describes them as “a most amazing breed, very loving. They are very quiet animals and are ideal for people with small acreage because they are easy to handle. They are a very gentle breed unlike anything I have ever seen before.” While they can be used for cross-breeding purposes, the general direction for their use is most likely as pure breeds with craft
wool breeders the most obvious market. But because of their resilience in cold and rugged conditions, Robyn can see them as being very well suited for high country farms as well. The Valais Black Nose is becoming quickly established in New Zealand, with a number of farms breeding them. While Remarkable Valais will be selling its animals into the New Zealand market, the group also plans to sell embryos overseas, especially into the United States, Robyn says. While the breed can handle general New Zealand weather conditions, with the intense heat of recent weeks, the sheep will only be brought to the show if the trip is not too uncomfortable. Anyone interested in purchasing animals can call Robyn on 027 2800 845 19
Patron still a keen Home Industries competitor It’s 80 years since Phyllis French attended her first Masterton A & P Show. Now patron of the Masterton A & P Society, Phyllis was a seven-year-old, visiting with her family who ran a sheep and beef farm at Tinui. Two years later she entered her first home industries competition, and has entered every year since.
“My very first entry was as a nine-year-old at St Matthew’s School. In those days all the schools would get their students to enter the writing competition.” By the time Phyllis was in her early teens, she was competing in the pony classes in the equestrian competitions, later moving on to the hacks and then jumping classes. “When I used to go as a child, you would go to the grandstand right after lunch, otherwise you wouldn’t get a seat to see the Grand Parade. “It was beautiful to look down at the horse classes as they entertained the crowd. Back then the horse was everyone’s work tool. There were horses on every farm.” In the early 1970s Phyllis took up black and coloured sheep breeding, entering her sheep, spinning and knitting in the Show. Back then, bringing a black and coloured sheep to the Show was a radical move, she recalls. “I remember one man saying to another ‘I bet that sheep has never seen a pen in its life before.’ Times have changed and now black and coloured sheep carry the numbers at the Show. Farming has changed to such a degree that stud stock is not the main thing anymore.
20 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
“In those days A & P shows were the shop window. All the famers used to go to the
shows. There were heaps of them and it was very competitive.” Phyllis learned to knit when she was a boarder at St Matthew’s. “We used to knit pullovers for the American servicemen (during World War II). I used to sit up after lights out and knit in the dark.” Phyllis admits to “a bit of a habit of winning the knitting competitions” but says she never takes it for granted. “There are always plenty of entries and it depends on what people are making for their entry that year.” Phyllis continues to be an avid spinner and now spins more than ever - under the magnolia tree in her garden in summer. “It’s good to do after I have been gardening and the spinning wheel creates a gentle breeze.” As well as spinning and knitting, Phyllis has added another string to her bow. “I broke out at the age of 86 and now do the cut flower section as well. I’ve always been an enthusiastic rose grower.” Phyllis was made Patron of the Masterton A & P Society three years ago, a largely honorary title that reflects her lifelong commitment to both the Show and Society.
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No thoughts of retirement for kiwi jazz icon It was pouring with rain last year when the Rodger Fox Band performed at the Trust House Masterton A & P Show, but true professionals, they still turned on a fine performance. This year Rodger is bringing almost the same band back again with seven musicians as well as iconic entertainer Ray Woolf and jazz/blues vocalist Erna Ferry. Rodger is New Zealand’s foremost jazz trombonist, big band leader, jazz educator, arranger and producer. He has performed in concert with some of the biggest names from the jazz and entertainment world including Randy Crawford, Arturo Sandoval and The Four Tops and Temptations. 22 TRUST HOUSE MASTERTON A&P SHOW
Rodger’s band has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and in concerts in London, Singapore, Australia, Poland and the USA.
guitarist-vocalist Robben Ford which we are really looking forward to. More info can be found on the big band website www. rodgerfoxbigband.com
Rodger took a few minutes out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions.
What are some of the most noticeable things that have changed in your music and the New Zealand music industry since you started? The thing that has really happened is the level of musicians has just gotten better and better. This is due to a lot of jazz/ blues/big band music being available in the high school system and then to be able to study this music at university level where I teach at “The New Zealand School of Music/ Victoria University” in Wellington.
What sort of music will you be playing at the Show this year? We will play a wide cross-section of material from big band vocal classics by Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr and Bobby Darin through to pop & rock classics. Really, it’s something for everyone. Have you got any special projects you are working on at the moment? One of the projects I am completing is a Rodger Fox Big Band album which we recorded at United Studios in Los Angeles in September when we toured the USA to perform at the 60th Monterey Jazz Festival. The new CD which is titled “Hip Walk” will be released towards the end on March of this year. I see it is officially the 40th anniversary of the Rodger Fox Band and 46 years since you formed your first band (The Golden Horn Big Band). Any plans for retirement in the near future? Playing music and entertaining people is all I know and what I love doing - so no plans for retirement. One of the big tours the Rodger Fox will be doing is in late May - June of this year and will feature star blues/fusion
What is it about the trombone that makes it the instrument you like to play? It was my father who switched me from trumpet to trombone with the reason being all his trombone players had left Mana College where my father was the head of music, so I was the next trombone player for the Mana College band. This really worked out well for me because there were way less trombone players in Wellington than trumpet players and even less playing in a jazz/fusion style. The door opened and I walk right in and now I’m still here doing. I also had a great education by playing in bands such as Quincy Conserve and The 1860 Band … just fantastic.
Home Industries climbing towards a thousand entries Expect a touch of tartan in this year’s Home Industry displays at the Trust House Masterton A & P Show. In keeping with the Highland Games theme running throughout this year’s Show, entrants have been encouraged to think Scottish in some categories. For example, this year there is an Arts & Crafts class for “something made from tartan” while another class is for “a man’s traditional Scottish hat.” In the Cooking Section there’s a Scottish section for “a Dundee Cake and four pieces of shortbread” while the Floral Section has “a design of one’s own choice using a tartan ribbon.”
JOY SUTHERLAND WITH SOME OF THE SCOTTISH THEMED HOME INDUSTRIES ENTRIES
With reports of a great growing season, the entries for the Fruit & Vegetable section should be outstanding this year. Each year the Home Industries Committee likes to come up with classes that reflect current interests such as a “dreamcatcher” class in the Arts & Crafts section. One of the most fiercely contested classes every year is the “rich fruit cake” in the Cookery section. Multiple winner Barney Woollard is back again this year but will have stiff competition from Pauline McGrath of Levin who won last year.
The theme of sustainability is also present with a number of classes using recycled material including one for children using six or more tins and cans.
Pauline has told Home Industries Committee President Joy Sutherland she is looking forward to returning to defend her title.
Among the more esoteric classes are “an article made from a man’s tie” and “a decorated room in a shoe box” in the Arts & Crafts section.
Home Industries are enjoying a resurgence at the Show and Joy says last year the group almost reached the 1000 mark for entries.
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“Part of the Home Industry group’s success is that we are fully supported by all of our sponsors,” she says. And, to complete the Scottish theme, all volunteers in the Home Industries area will be wearing tartan.
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