Absolute champions
There’s only so much room on a calf’s back, and young Buddie has almost reached his limit in ribbons.
Aided and abetted by Gordonton School’s Codie White, the Jersey heifer won Champion ribbons, Champion of Champions at the recent Ag Days, and then collected one of the major cups at the Waikato Royal Show.
Eleven year old Codie has been aiming for top prize at the show for a few years, says her mum.
“It’s a dream come true for her. It just goes to show that hard work and effort pays off in the end,” she told Gordonton School Ag Club president Sally-Ann Riddell.
After winning the Champion Rearing event, Codie and Buddie then went into the ring to compete against last year’s winner of Champion Leading.
“The two of them were in there trying to win the Champion of Champion Leading and Rearing Cup. They have to lead their calf around the ring, one at a time, and are marked accordingly. Then they return to the ring, and are judged on calf rearing. Against all the odds, the previous champion had a bad lead, so Codie won, even though she hadn’t won the leading part,” Sally-Ann says. “She really did well.”
And to make the win sweeter, Codie and her family are not farmers, she understands. “I believe they ‘borrowed’ Buddie off a neighbour.”
Gordonton School held its Ag Day competition on October 6, the North Waikato Group Day competition, also at Gordonton was the following day, and hundreds of children (and, for that matter, well groomed calves, lamb and goats) took part in the Waikato Royal Show at Claudelands on October 28.
Gordonton School is to hold its Ag Club prize giving on Friday 11 November, at 1.30pm, in the school hall.
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