CHAPTER VJII. 



Show-yard Records 



While the lireeders of (Guernsey cattle have from the very 

 first been particularly stron.Li" ath'ocates of production records 

 as the impiirtanl means of impri)\'ing- their hjreed, still they 

 have al\\-a3's been ready to exhibit the best specimens of the 

 breed in competition with tlieir fellnw Cjuernsey breeders at 

 Icadini;- fairs and exhibitions. 



In the earlv davs the Jersey and the Guernsey were 

 shown at fxith hjiqlish and Vmerican fairs in the same class, 

 ,^eneralh- under the name of Alderncy or Channel Islands 



Aged Cow Class, W'iconsin .State Fair, 1910. 



cattle, but as early as 1870 the secretary of the Royal .Vgri- 

 cultural .S(.iciet_\- of I'jigland recommende<l that the Guernseys 

 be gi\-en a class b}" themsehes, and tlie\- were first classed 

 alone at the exposition of that society in 1871. 



Good showing-s of Guernseys began to be made at the 

 .\'e\\' ^'ork .State and rither leading eastern fairs in the earlv 

 '80s. The cow Fdegantc ?'>1 was the sweepstakes winner 

 over all breeds at the Xew ^'ork ."^tate I'"air in 1881, ha\-ing 

 won first prize 'ui ("".uernse_\- in 1880 at the Herd Book Shi.iw 

 and second at the sliriw of the Royal Guernsey Agricultural 

 Society in the same vear. 



The growth of show-)ard interest has steadih' increased, 

 until now, with the (luernseys third in rank in the number 

 of registered animals, tlic}' Jiaxe fiir the last two or three 

 years made the largest exhibits ,if all brecils at manv of the 

 leadin.c fairs east and west and at the National Dairv Show. 



It is 



mipossible in a book of this size to gix e e\'en an approx- 

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