lizard news
January 2025
Katikati & Ōmokoroa
Caring about loCal Community matters from te Puna to Waihī beaCh
Sheep show schooling By Virginia O’Leary hree young animal handlers from Aongatete are preparing their pet sheep for the inaugural sheep show at the 100th Katikati A&P Show on 2nd February. With ribbons and prestige to be won, Oliver Tasker (11), Alaska Shaw (13) and Juniper Parkinson (9) have the summer holidays ahead to fine-tune the performances of their sheep. Oliver and his 6-month-old lamb, Valentina, a Baby Doll crossbreed, have been a team since she was bottle-fed. At around eight weeks old Valentina was learning to follow instructions with NRM sheep nut rewards. “With any animal, as soon as you start feeding, you can start teaching. I taught Valentina to spin by slowly luring her around in a circle as I fed her. Valentina walks with me without a lead,” says Oliver. He has trained many of the family farm’s animals, including chickens, horses, birds, rabbits, and dogs. Oliver helps his mother, Bex Tasker, with her business, Positively Together, which trains animals and teaches children and animal interaction. Alaska Shaw will be entering her 18-month Suffolk sheep, Evie, in the Katikati A&P Sheep Show. Alaska has taught her sheep to jump high. She spends about 1015 minutes a day after school training her pet. “The breed of sheep doesn’t affect their training. Some are more athletic than others. It all depends on
T
the way you train and your relationship with your sheep,” she says. “I will be entering the fancy dress class and the cuddliest class.” Sheep handlers can enter any of the six classes:
leading and calling, handling and care, cuddliest sheep, obstacle course, best tricks, and fancy dress (handler and sheep). For entry see www.katikatiAandPshow.nz
L-R: Alaska Shaw, Juniper Parkinson, and Oliver Tasker with their pet sheep, preparing for the Katikati A&P Show on 2nd February. PHOTO: Supplied.
Katikati A&P centenary century of Agricultural and Pastoral Shows in Katikati will be celebrated in style on 2nd February when the 100th show day plays out on Katikati’s Major Street showgrounds. The past will be honoured with a luncheon attended by past presidents and a cake-cutting ceremony at midday in the Domain pavilion. Present A&P chair Louellen Davies has headed the A&P committee for more than a decade. As a child, she attended shows where she competed with her horses. Today, she no longer competes but is a well-known equestrian judge, both locally and nationally. Equestrian entries are already pouring in, with competitors coming from neighbouring districts as well as local equestrians. Prize money for one event alone, the Show Hunter class, will this year see $1,200 being
A
competed for, thanks to local sponsors Alan Dawson and Don and Edith Hoseason. With an emphasis on horticulture in the district, there is an absence of the livestock shows that once drew many cattle farmers; however, this year, there will be a sheep show for those wanting to compete for ribbons and prizes with their pet sheep – those calf club lambs now grown. National gardening celebrity Linda Hallinan will be coming to town to judge preserving entries in the Home Industries A&P hall, where placings are hotly competed for in the vegetable, baking, floral, handcrafts, preserves and children’s entries. Photographers of all ages will showcase their skills. An inaugural scarecrow competition will be on display outside the A&P hall, and winners will
be decided by a public vote. Show attractions include a period-fashion parade, children’s highland dancing, Waihī Highland Pipe Band, Waihī Country and Western Club, Katikati Concert Band, wood chopping, tractor rides, donkey rides and many other fun activities. Entry to show day is $10 for adults, and children 14 years and under are free. Katikati Primary School children in years 5 and 6 have designed posters to celebrate the Katikati A&P Show’s 100th year. These will be displayed in the Information Centre in Katikati’s Main Street during the week of 20th to 26th January and also on Show Day in the A&P Hall. For further information and competition details, see www.katikatiAandPshow.nz Article supplied.