Words by Annie Studholme, Images by Annie Studholme and supplied by the Mayfield A&P Association
The Mayfield A&P Association will celebrate its centennial show on Saturday, March 14. More than just an event, the Mayfield Show is, and has always been, a celebration of the community featuring traditional agricultural competitions, livestock, produce, trade stalls, side shows, and a family fun day out for young and old alike. It brings people together and plays an essential role in increasing cooperation and understanding between urban and rural communities.
Started largely because of the boundless energy, initiative, and optimism of Mr. Donald Duff, who was elected inaugural president, the first Mayfield A&P Show was held on April 8, 1920, following in the footsteps of the Ashburton and Methven A&P Shows. Backed by a dedicated core committee (many of the families are still involved to this day), the first show was a huge success, with crowds flocking through the gates to see entries in the sheep, cattle, horse and pony, dogs, pigs, poultry, home industries, and juvenile sections. Before long, the Mayfield Show had cemented a reputation for being one of the best district shows in the province.
Just six years later, the 1926 show was cancelled as a precaution during the polio epidemic. Wartime also hit the association hard, forcing a five-year lay-off from 1941, with the show making a welcome return in 1946. More recently, the show was cancelled in 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions. But despite some tough times, the committee never wavered, determined to put on a great spectacle for exhibitors and the public alike, drawing on the inspiration of those who had come before them.
A hallmark of the show’s continued success has been the committee’s ability to dream up new events to draw people through the gates. While many events have come and gone over the years, pig racing has become iconic since its debut in 1993, continually drawing massive crowds. The tractor pull has also grown into a huge event, attracting more than 50 tractors across the different sections since it was introduced in 2018.
Even though the association has been going for more than a century, this year marks the hundredth official show. It’s a significant milestone recognised by committee members past and present.
Mayfield A&P Show president James Murdoch came into the role after getting involved in the committee selling back numbers while still at secondary school. After returning from overseas, he spent many years as co-convenor of the prime beef section before its demise, then moved into signage and parking. With the centennial show approaching, he was shoulder-tapped to be Vice President last year, before assuming the helm for this year’s show.
Last May, the committee established a centennial show subcommittee to build enthusiasm and drive projects for the centennial show. Having already started working on the centennial as Vice President, James enlisted the help of former president and passionate Mayfield Show supporter Mark Morrow to head the committee, so he could continue to focus on the show itself.
After much deliberation, it was decided that the revamp of the nigh-on 100-year-old produce shed was the perfect project to mark the centennial show. “Over the years, it’s been quite central to the show, and we thought it’s a wonderful building and it needed to be restored to ensure it's around for another 100 years. Part of the reason for choosing it was because of the sheer amount of time it required to get it ready for show day,” said James.
Once ideas were fine-tuned around practicality and feasibility, the centennial committee set about raising funds, enlisting a builder, and preparing and demolishing to be ready for the refurbishment. The cost of the project was funded through community donations, the Cattle Scheme, and grants from the Lion Foundation, South and Mid Canterbury Trust, Mayfield & District Lions, and Hinds Lions. The work was overseen by Hayden Breakwell of H2 Builders in Ashburton, and members also donated time and materials, including labour, timber, tractor use, and trailers.
James said the renovation included re-cladding the exterior with new iron, and, inside, extending the concrete area and stripping and relining the wall linings with plywood making the shed clean and easy for show day set up. The walls were now flat, after being uneven for many years. New shelving had also been added with wire protection.
From the outset, the committee wanted the restoration work and fundraising completed before this year’s show. A celebration dinner was held at the Mayfield Hall last October as part of the fundraising efforts. “We wanted to recognise that we are in our centennial year, but we were conscious of the workload around the show without clogging it all up in one weekend,” he said.
The dinner was a huge success, bringing together many people involved in the show over the past decades. Along with entertaining speeches from Graham Linton and Hayden Tasker, a number of cups that had previously been presented were auctioned off to raise funds for the renovation project.
While there would be no big centennial event on show day, James said there would be some special one-off events held alongside traditional livestock classes, shearing, wool, trade sites, food stalls, carnival rides, tractor pull, and the ever-famous pig racing. Given it was the centennial, he expected entries to be strong across the board.
Notably, the show had received Royal status from the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) for classes held in the newly renovated Produce Shed. The renowned Jack Russell Race would also make a welcome return. There would also be a one-off Young Auctioneers competition attracting some of the country’s top young auctioneers, and a celebrity art painting competition where James will pit his painting skills against other local identities. The local rugby clubs have also planned a novelty event, which involves breaking down a piano to fit it through a toilet seat.
The shed renovation, coupled with buoyed enthusiasm surrounding the centennial, had set the show up for a wonderful day. “It’s with terrific support from the committee, convenors, volunteers, exhibitors, judges, sponsors, and trade that the show has survived and evolved to what it is today,” said James.