Calf Day memories: Cup presented in honour of late brother 60 years later

Sue Kyle, then Sue Aitchison, won the cup in her late brother David's name 60 years earlier.

It was almost 60 years to the day that Sue Kyle won a major prize at the Horowhenua Girls and Boys Agricultural Club finals.

But of all the trophies and ribbons she won that day, one stood out among all others - a cup donated in honour of her late brother David Aitchison, who at age 10 had died after a short battle with cancer just a few months earlier.

Back then Sue Aitchison was a 12-year-old student at Levin East School and she scooped a pool of prizes and cups at the 1963 competition final with a champion jersey calf she called Penny.

“I still remember her name,” she said.

Sue Kyle with her great niece and nephew Blake and Kaylee Unsworth and their jersey calves at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural Competition final.

Sue, who now lives in Taradale with husband Robert, returned to the show to present the cup, won this year by Opiki School student Fletcher Rider and his calf Lyla.

“It is the first time I have been back to the show in 60 years,” she said.

Sue Kyle presents Fletcher Rider, 13, with the award for best leading calf at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural competition final.

Sue said she remembered the show being a lot bigger back then with more animals entered, but was impressed with the entries she saw and the work the children had put into presenting their animals for judging.

“I’ve been a townie for so long now, but I can still look at a calf what is good and what isn’t,” she said.

Cooper Burgess with his lamb Boy at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural Competition final at Levin.

Showing cattle had always run in the family. Her sister Dianne Timms and niece Jill and nephew Corey were judges of different sections on the day, while Jill’s children Blake and Kaylee Unsworth had their prized jersey calves entered.

Schools had held preliminary competitions leading into finals day, which had now been running for almost 100 years at the Levin AP&I Showgrounds. Several generations of families have their names etched on many of the trophies.

Poroutawhao cousins Harry, 8, and Angus Easton, 7, with calves Clover and Graeme at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural Competition final.

A little bit of rain didn’t deter anybody and a large crowd of supporters gathered to watch judging, although some of the lamb competition was held under roof in the stock yard nearby.

Every lamb, calf and kid had a name. One of the best names was given to a Charolais calf owned by Angus Easton. He had called it Graeme.

Jorja McLeod, 7, with her lamb Snowy at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural final in Levin.

Jorja McLeod had a lamb called Snowy while her older sister Alexis called her lamb Dazzle. Andre Herbert called his “Lil Lil’s”.

HOROWHENUA BOYS & GIRLS AGRICULTURAL CLUB- GROUP FINAL DAY RESULTS

TROPHY RESULTS

Champion Kid: ELLA SIMONSEN, Koputaroa School.

SQUIRE FAMILY SHIELD: Best Care & Rearing – Kid: ELLA SIMONSEN, Koputaroa School.

TARARUA CUP: Senior Care & Rearing – Lamb: PRAIRIE CUDBY, Te Horo School

RINGAWHATI CUP: Junior Care & Rearing – Lamb: MADDISON RENNER, Ohau School.

LEVIN DISTRICT SHEEP FARMERS CUP: Champion Lamb: ANGUS GRIFFIN, Opiki School.

Ava Hapeta-Colling with her champion calf at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural Competition final at Levin.

SHEEP FARMERS CUP: Reserve Champion Lamb: GRETCHEN DORN, Opiki School.

DAVID AITCHISON MEMORIAL CUP: Champion Ringcraft – Calf: FLETCHER RIDER, Opiki School.

RIDER FAMILY CUP: Reserve Champion Ringcraft – Calf: ALLIETT RIDER, Opiki School.

MR & MRS K SHAW CUP: Champion Calf: NATALIA CLARIDGE, Opiki School.

TUI TRADING CUP: Reserve Champion Calf: TROY SEYMOUR, Opiki School.

GORDON HILL TROPHY: Champion Dairy Type – Calf: AVA HAPETA-COLLING, Ohau School.

IVAN HILL MEMORIAL TROPHY: Yearling FRANKI HAPETA-COLLING, Ohau School.

Andre Herbert, 6, with his lamb Lil Lil's at the Horowhenua Agricultural Lamb and Calf Day at Levin.

Yearling Beef Champion: BRODY SMYTH, Ohau School.

AFFCO CUP: Champion Beef Calf: TROY SEYMOUR, Opiki School.

ADLAM FAMILY CUP: Reserve Champion Beef Calf: GEORGIA ADLAM, Opiki School.

CLUB SHIELD: Best Presented Group: KOPUTAROA SCHOOL: JACK KERNOHAN, PAIGE KERNOHAN, MCKENZIE HUTTON-REARDON

JOYCLAS TROPY: Best Diary: JADE ELLIOT, Opiki School.

CALF SECTION

SENIOR RINGCRAFT: 1ST Fletcher Rider, Opiki School. 2nd Georgia Adlam, Opiki School. 3rd Alec Dorn, Opiki School. VHC Braxton Rider, Opiki School. HC Blake Unsworth, Opiki School.

SENIOR CARE & REARING: 1ST Natalia Claridge, Opiki School. 2nd Paige Kernohan, Koputaroa School. 3rd Blake Unsworth, Opiki School. VHC Jack Kernohan, Koputaroa School. HC Georgia Adlam, Opiki School.

SENIOR DAIRY TYPE: 1ST Ava Hapeta-Colling, Ohau School. 2nd Natalia Claridge, Opiki School. 3rd Jack Kernohan, Koputaroa School. VHC Paige Kernohan, Koputaroa School. HC Alec Dorn, Opiki School.

Alexis McLeod, 8, with her lamb Dazzle at the Horowhenua Lamb and Calf competition.

JUNIOR RINGCRAFT: 1ST Alliett Rider, Opiki School. 2nd Jackson Legg, Opiki School. 3rd Troy Seymour, Opiki School. VHC MacKenzie Hutton-Reardon, Koputaroa School. HC Harry Easton, Poroutawhao School.

JUNIOR CARE & REARING: 1st Troy Seymour, Opiki School. 2nd MacKenzie Hutton-Reardon, Koputaroa School. 3rd Kaylee Unsworth, Opiki School. VHC Harry Easton, Poroutawhao School. HC Levi Simpson, Poroutawhao School.

JUNIOR DAIRY TYPE: 1st Mya Nickalls, Opiki School. 2nd Laura Burnell, Ohau School. 3rd Jackson Legg, Opiki School. VHC Harry Easton, Poroutawhao School. HC Alliett Rider, Opiki School.

CHAMPION RINGCRAFT – DAVID AITCHISON MEMORIAL: Fletcher Rider, Opiki School.

RESERVE RINGCRAFT – Rider Family Cup: Alliett Rider, Opiki School.

CHAMPION CALF – MR & MRS K SHAW CUP: Natalia Claridge, Opiki School.

RESERVE CHAMPION CALF – TUI TRADING CUP: Troy Seymour, Opiki School.

CHAMPION DAIRY TYPE – GORDON HOLDER TROPHY: Ava Hapeta-Colling, Ohau School.

Judge Trevor Latimer hands out winning ribbons at the Horowhenua Boys and Girls Agricultural Competition final.

RESERVE CHAMPION DAIRY TYPE: Mya Nickalls, Opiki School.

YEARLING – IVAN HILL MEMORIAL TROPHY: Champion: Frankie Hapeta-Colling, Ohau School. Reserve: Laura Burnell, Ohau School. 3rd Brody Smyth, Ohau School. VHC Paige Kernohan, Koputaroa School. HC Ava Hapeta-Colling, Ohau School.

YEARLING BEEF CHAMPION: Brody Smyth, Ohau School.

BEEF COMPETITION CHAMPION – AFFCO CUP: Champion Troy Seymour, Opiki School. Reserve: Georgia Adlam, Opiki School. 3rd Angus Easton, Koputaroa School. VHC Henry Reilly, Opiki School. HC Lucy Knight, Koputaroa School.

BEEF COMPETITION RESERVE – ADLAM FAMILY CUP: Georgia Adlam, Opiki School.

BEST PRESENTED GROUP: 1st Koputaroa School - Jack Kernohan, Paige Kernohan, McKenzie Hutton-Reardon. 2nd Opiki - Natalia Claridge, Jackson Legg,

Alliett Rider. 3rd Poroutawhao - Jonty Easton, Harry Easton, Angus Easton. VHC Opiki - Henry Reilly, Georgia Adlam, Troy Seymour. HC Opiki - Blake Unsworth, Kaylee Unsworth, Mya Nickalls.

Jade Elliot, Althy McMillan, Prairie Cudby, Georgia Dunn and Merika Tombs with their lambs at the Horowhenua Lamb and Calf Day final in Levin.

LAMB SECTION

SENIOR BEST PET LAMB: 1ST Jade Elliot, Opiki School. 2nd Althea McMillan, Shannon School. 3rd Prairie Cudby, Te Horo School.

VHC Georgie Dunn, Te Horo School. HC Merika Tombs, Ohau School.

SENIOR CARE & REARING – TARARUA CUP: 1ST Prairie Cudby, Te Horo School. 2nd Hazel Dorn, Opiki School. 3rd Benjamin Christensen, Koputaroa School. VHC Zoe Fletcher, Koputaroa School. HC Georgie Dunn, Te Horo School.

JUNIOR BEST PET LAMB: 1ST Angus Griffin, Opiki School. 2nd Gretchen Dorn, Opiki School. 3rd Wyatt Willson, Opiki School. VHC Cooper Burgess, Koputaroa School. HC Maddison Renner, Ohau School.

JUNIOR CARE & REARING – RINGAWHATI CUP: 1ST Maddison Renner, Ohau School. 2nd Wyatt Willson, Opiki School. 3rd Jorja McLeod, Koputaroa School. VHC Gretchen Dorn, Opiki School. HC Oliver Hayes, Ohau School.

CHAMPION LAMB – LEVIN SHEEP FARMERS CUP: Angus Griffin, Opiki School.

RESERVE CHAMPION LAMB – SHEEP FARMERS CUP: Gretchen Dorn, Opiki School.

Judges Corey Prouting and Clive McLaughlin.

KID SECTION:

SENIOR BEST PET: 1st Ella Simonsen, Koputaroa School.

SENIOR CARE & REARING: 1st Ella Simonsen, Koputaroa School.

CHAMPION KID – GEBBIE CUP: Ella Simonsen, Koputaroa School.

BEST CARE & REARING – SQUIRE FAMILY SHIELD: Ella Simonsen, Koputaroa School.

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