Oxford A&P Show will be a 'massive day'

Oxford A&P Association president Ivan Evans is looking forward to this year's show. Photo / David Hill.

Sheep are in Ivan Evans's blood.

This year's Oxford A&P Show president has been breeding sheep all his life and has enjoyed success with his Perendale sheep stud.

Mr Evans first moved to the Ashley Gorge area, from his family farm at Rakaia Gorge, in 1981, before downsizing to ''a large lifestyle block'' of 19ha 10 years ago. He continues to run a small Perendale stud, which he started in 1983, and he previously bred Suffolk sheep from 1985 to 2009.

He said his secret is breeding ''naturally conditioned sheep''.

Mr Evans said he sold Perendale rams at both on-farm sales and at the Perendale stud ram fair at Gore.

A regular exhibitor at both the Oxford and Canterbury A&P shows, Mr Evans has been the breed captain at the Canterbury show for Perendale and Cheviot sheep, organising the judges and stewards and making sure the sheep ''are in the right place at the right time for judging''.

''It's quite a big job to make sure everybody knows what they're doing.''

Mr Evans has served on the Oxford A&P Association committee since 1994 and took charge of the sheep section in 2001. He is also a judge and sheep inspector for the Perendale Sheep Society and has judged at shows all over the country, including royal shows.

Mr Evans helped to organise the Golden Fleece competition when the Oxford A&P Association hosted it in 2015 and 2016 and enjoyed success winning the Perendale woolly hogget fleece ribbon at the 2015 event.

''I've always been keen on good quality wool, although it's not worth much at the moment, it's still a good product.''

He said the wool section at the Oxford show was always well supported, with 40 to 50 entries.

Mr Evans said he couldn't do what he does without the support of his wife, Julie, and daughters Charlotte and Emily.

While Charlotte is working in Scotland, Emily (17) will again be at the show helping run the sheep section.

''The overall support from the sponsors, local businesses and the general public is just amazing.

A lot of work goes into running the show and it's just a massive day for Oxford.''

He gave special mention to Mehrtens Agricultural Services for mowing the showgrounds for no cost - ''they've had to do three times this year''.

But the show could not run without the efforts of executive officer Christine Roberts and the support of the committee, he said.

The 113th annual Oxford A&P Show will be held at the Oxford Showgrounds on Easter Saturday, March 31.