Roll model
Thousands flocked to the Winton A&P Show, where one of the winners has a backstory of a narrow escape, writes Jamie Searle. Photos: John Hawkins
Owen Bennett of Bluff spent three years building this model Burrell traction engine, which he brought to the Winton A&P Show on Saturday. As temperatures in Southland rose, about 4000 people made the most of the sun and headed to the event.
A three-month-old fawn is lucky to be alive, let alone winning ribbons at agricultural shows.
The fawn was a winner in the pets’ section at the Winton A&P Show on Saturday. His owner, Liza Miller, is still amazed at how he survived his precarious start to life.
Liza and a friend were hunting on her family’s farm at Waimumu, near Gore, when they spotted a hind 150 metres away. The friend shot the hind and after a closer inspection discovered it was pregnant.
The pair quickly removed the fawn, with Liza using her lambing knowledge to make sure its airways and lungs were clear and functioning before taking it home. The fawn, which was initially fed cow’s colostrum, lived in the Miller family home for eight or nine weeks.
Liza thought the fawn was female and named her Hazel. However, after four days she discovered Hazel was male.
Because the fawn responded to Hazel, Liza decided not to change his name.
‘‘I’m glad he’s still alive . . . we thought we’d lose him in the first few hours. He’s my pet for life.’’
The event was also a special occasion for Alister Hall, his brother Rob and daughter Teegan.
For the first time, the brothers each had a supreme winner at the same show. Alister’s Friesian cow won the Supreme Dairy Animal Award and Rob’s Southdown ram was judged Supreme Sheep. The day got better for Alister when the Friesian was named the show’s Supreme Exhibit.
Teegan added to the occasion by receiving a $1000 first year agricultural scholarship from the show organisation.
The Supreme Saddle Horse Award went to Tania Bellamy’s 12-year-old thoroughbred, Lochslea Pride & Joy. Bellamy has won at least 20 titles since buying him off Trade Me in 2017.
The Supreme Beef Animal title was awarded to a bull calf bred by Speckle Park owners Mark and Lesley Tiller.
Mark Tiller said his bull calf was following in the footsteps of its mother which won the Supreme Beef Animal Award at
Winton 2017.
‘‘I was a little bit surprised we won [on Saturday] but we brought what we thought were our best animals.’’
Beef and dairy stock were back at the show after a threeyear absence due to the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.
Show president Dellwyn Malcolm estimated that about 4000 people turned up on Saturday.
‘‘The car park’s full and we’ve had to open up another paddock for cars . . . that hasn’t happened for years.’’