HISTORY' OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



457 



THE ENGLISH SHOWS OF 1886. 



The "Hereford Times,'' in speaking of the 

 SMITIIFIELD SHOW OF 1886, said: Another 

 great distinction has this week fallen to the 

 Hereford cattle, a representative of the white- 

 faces having carried off the championship of the 

 Smithfield Club Cattle Show on Monday. The 

 successful animal is the grand ox belonging to 

 F. Platt, of Barnby Manor, Newark, and it 

 made a clean sweep of all the honors within its 

 reach. The show of Herefords was the best 

 seen at Smithfield since 1881. The entries num- 

 ber five more than last year, and among them 

 were some marvelous specimens, especially in 

 the classes for young steers and heifers! In 

 all the youngsters numbered a baker's dozen, 

 the winner turning up in a charming creature 

 with a beautiful head and splendid body, shown 

 by L. Loyd, West Wickham, Beckenham. The 

 animal is just a year and ten months old, and 

 weighs just over 12 cwt. (1,350 Ibs.) ; it had 

 very little difficulty, however, in beating a two 

 months younger beast, the property of H. F. 

 Russell (1J342, 1J342A), Westonbury, Pern- 

 bridge, who took third prize at Birmingham. 

 The first prize taker last week, shown by A. P. 

 Turner, Pembridge, and by far the heaviest 

 animal in the class, was now but highly coin- 

 mended. L. Loyd also received third prize. 

 The Earl of Coventry was commended in this 

 class. The steers above two and not exceeding 

 three years were small in number, the prizes 

 going to J. F. Hall, Ripple, Tewkesbury, the 

 third prize taker in Birmingham; J. Andrews, 

 I vingtonbury, Leominster; and T. Duckham, 

 Baysham Court, Ross. The Queen was highly 

 commended in this class at Birmingham, but 

 this time her representative was without recog- 

 nition. The steers above three and not exceed- 

 ing four years were a very fine lot. The prin- 

 cipal feature was the first prize taker, the 

 three-asd-a-half-year-old ox, weighing 21 cwt. 

 (2,350 Ibs.), shown by Mr. Platt. This was, 

 as we have already indicated, a magnificent ani- 

 mal, of perfect shape and superlative excellence 

 in respect to quality. Not a fault could be 

 found with it, and it frequently elicited admira- 

 tion as it was paraded before the judges. It 

 took first prize in its class, as at Birmingham, 

 but now it went further, and not only received 

 the breed cup for the best Hereford, beating Mr. 

 Turner's famous Kathleen, its Birmingham 

 conqueror, but also won the silver cup, value 

 50 pounds sterling, offered for the best steer, 

 or ox, and, further, the champion plate of 100 

 guineas for being the best beast in the show. 

 This was totally different from Birmingham. 



Mr. Platt's representative only had a "look 

 in" at Birmingham, but now the Bingley Hall 

 champion was just as much out of the run- 

 ning. The win, however, was a popular one, 

 loud cheers greeting the decision of the judges. 

 The champion animal is thus described in the 

 catalogue (1[343): "No. 57. Frederick Platt 

 (ft 344), of Barnby Manor, Newark, Notts, 3 

 years 6 months 3 days, bred by the late T. 

 Oliver, Hide Field, Weobly, Hereford, sire San 

 Juan (616), dam Beauty. Sire of dam, Mansel 

 (3240)." The full details of its winnings on 

 Monday are as follows: 1st prize in its class, 

 25 pounds sterling ($125) ; silver cup as best 

 of its breed, 30 pounds sterling ($150) ; silver 

 cup as best steer or ox in the classes, 50 pounds 

 sterling ($250) ; champion plate, as best beast 

 in the show, 105 pounds sterling ($525) ; and a 

 gold medal. Total, 220 pounds sterling 



CLEM GRAVES, 

 Bunker Hill, Ind. 



($1,100). In the older steers the class prizes 

 fell to the same animals as at Birmingham, 

 the second going to R. Keene (ff345), Pen- 

 craig, Caerleon, Mon. ; and the third to W. 

 Groves, Baucott, Wellington, Salop, with two 



