1 November 1984 Lamb drafting championship at Amberley A & P Show

Local Canterbury Frozen Meat Company drafter Bryce Henderson scored 2114 points out of a possible maximum 2400 to win the lamb drafting championship at Amberley Agricultural and Pastoral Show on Saturday October 27.

He took first place after holding off a strong challenge from North Islander Don Shaw, a Richmonds' drafter.

Competition between the drafters was keen, and only 94 points separated the first 10 places.

Young farmer Des Crampton won the young farmers' class and was third over all, while farmer Graham Uren, from Waipara, took first place in the farmers' class.

This was the second year of the drafting competition at the Amberley A. and P. Show, and competition organiser Bruce McLachlan would like to see more show societies organise similar events.

"If this were done the Golden Raddle could become to drafters what the Golden Shears is to shearers."

"Recognising the skills of drafters and publicly acknowledging top drafters is important," he said.

Scoring system for the drafting competition was devised by Dr Alastair Nicol, senior lecturer in animal sciences at Lincoln College.

The competition involves estimating fatness, grade, carcase weight and wool pull of 12 lambs.

"In this way drafters' skills can be used by farmers, not only for drafting, but also for helping sleet lean rams for use in flocks," Dr Nicol said.

Scoring was intended to closely represent the relative economic value of these factors to the export lamb, he said.

Two hundred points are awarded for each of the 12 lambs and points are lost for wrong assessment of grade, fat, weight, wool pull and GR measurements ends.

Further information from Dr Alastair Nicol, Animal Science Department, Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand.