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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 9 (December 1, 1936)

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Few New Zealanders know that in numbers we lead the whole world in the export of thoroughbred animals. Our totals, for instance, are six or seven times those of Great Britain, and often equal all the rest of the world. There are logical reasons for this unique position. It is a commonplace that animals from the Northern Temperate Zone improve in size and quality when they settle in New Zealand. The rich largesse of sunny skies, mild temperatures and ample rainfall, join with the gift of a soil which is the golden sand of fertility. Our country has been fashioned by Nature to be the ideal place on the earth's surface for the development of the best of every type of animal. This article proposes to show that our forebears recognised this wonder at a very early date, and will treat of the stupendous achievement already reached, and the glorious possibilities of the future.

Astately London weekly observed not so long ago, “Someone has said that the reading of detective stories is the recreation of all superior minds. On the contrary, if they were really superior, it would be their only occupation.” I know a better form of this indoor sport, and that is the study of the breeding of the thoroughbred. I do not limit the latter category to the thoroughbred horse, for the breeding of sheep, beef and dairy cattle, dogs and pigs, carries the same blend of crossword puzzle delight and high romance. To the theorist it is a recreation, but for the practical exponent it is another matter. The natural advantages of our country for this specific purpose are overwhelming, but the art or science of breeding depends finally on the skill of its practitioners, their fidelity to purpose and unswerving devotion. Our forebears brought all these qualities with them, and when our centennial year arrives, I believe that the brightest pages of our first century's history will be those that tell of the achievement of our studmasters.

Perhaps, too, by the time our year of celebration arrives, the thoroughbred industry will have had its share of practical encouragement, as has been lately done in Ireland, but even without further stimulus, its growth will continue. The extent, value and importance of our present exports of this category are not known or appreciated. Mr. Charles Robertson, New Zealands' best known figure in this
A well-known Stud Farm in the North Island of New Zealand.

A well-known Stud Farm in the North Island of New Zealand.

arena, mentioned to me quite casually a day or two ago that his firm had shipped on the previous Saturday, 125 stud sheep whose value was £7,000 or thereabouts. In a year at least 2,500 thoroughbred animals leave these shores for all the lands of the Seven Seas: Chile, Argentina, Soviet Russia, Japan, Peru, and most European countries, and, of course, our great neighbour, Australia, are names taken at random. As a rule, I do not care for figures, but the list set out below is so impressive that it tells its own eloquent story. The stud flocks and herds shown are those officially recognised by the various breed associations who maintain systems of rigorous inspection, constant scrutiny, and jealously guarded standards.
Farm Horses.
Clydesdale Breeders 871
Sheep.
Corriedale Breeders 157
Merino Breeders 48
Romney Breeders 599
Lincoln Breeders 64
Southdown Breeders 772
Ryeland Breeders 69
South Island Flock Book.
English Leicester 107
Border Leicester 156
Shropshire 48
Suffolk 5
Half-bred 23
Milking Cattle.
Jersey Breeders 2194
Fresian Breeders 564
Milking Shorthorn Breeders 504
Ayrshire Breeders 291
page 25
Palermo—Argentina. New Zealand Champion Sheep.

Palermo—Argentina. New Zealand Champion Sheep.