Dual cup win makes Canterbury A&P show history

Delighted with their success are Will (left), Liz and Anton Gibson, of Milddlemarch, along with Mustang, Lucy and calf. Photo / Amy Hoogen

The Gibson family's success at this month's Canterbury A&P Show was history-making for both them and the 155-year-old show, writes Yvonne O'Hara.

Middlemarch's Liz and Anton Gibson, along with son Will and daughter Jodie, of Foulden Hill Hereford and Bluestone Santa Gertrudis studs, made Canterbury A&P Show history when their Hereford yearling bull, Foulden Hill Mustang, won both the Senior and Junior Meat and Wool cups in the same show earlier this month.

Their 2-year-old Santa Gertrudis cow, Bluestone Lucy, with calf (the name of which has caused much debate within the family), was runner-up in the senior cup competition, separated from the title by just one point.

Another of their Santa Gertrudis heifers, Mandy, was the runner-up junior heifer in the interbreeds class.

Will Gibson also won the champion and reserve champion titles for his fine black and coloured fleeces, and they won the ultra-fine fleece section in the white merino section. One of their Suffolk sheep came second in the eye muscle-scanning section.

Mrs Gibson said as far as she was aware, no single exhibitor had won both cups and the runner-up title at the Canterbury Show before, and that was backed up by former show committee president Ian Stevenson.

"I can pretty much guarantee it has not been done before in the 155-year history of the show," he said.

"It is hard not to be a little bit emotional and now we are absolutely thrilled," Mrs Gibson said.

"It wasn't until we were driving home, when the fog of trying to get all the cattle and everything sorted lifted, and we decided it wasn't too bad an effort."

She said the nine breed judges took every aspect of the cattle into account, including their movement, the way they stood, structure, temperament, markings and how they caught the eye.

"Animals need to be correct and a good example of their breed."

The studs are part of the family's commercial operation on dry hill country near Middlemarch and all animals are run under the same conditions.

She said their Santa Gertrudis cattle were becoming more popular, as they were considered a good choice as terminal sires because the calves were born smaller and grew quickly.

They were also easy calving and bloat and parasite tolerant, the first cross cows made excellent mothers, and they milked well because of the milking Shorthorn background.

She said the most important element of their success was team effort, with hard work from the whole family, as well as help from in-laws Ron and Mary Gibson, of Waikaia, who looked after the farm so the family could get away.

"We really appreciate it," she said.

They intend to sell Mustang and the wins have generated considerable interest.

Their next sale will be at the Nethertown Angus stud property, near Middlemarch, on June 6.