NZ Annual Golden Fleece event organized in Oxford

Oxford’s A&P Association hosted the Royal Agricultural Society of NZ Annual Golden Fleece Competition 2015 on Friday. The main objective of the Oxford A&P Association is to bring Town and Country together one day a year to enjoy country hospitality and to promote agricultural and pastoral excellence in all areas.

More than 170 fleeces participated in the contest, all the country’s major NZ sheep breeds, from the strong-woolled Lincolns and Leicesters through to Romneys and Perendales were there. Also on show were the traditional knitting wools of the Corriedale and Halfbred, and a large number of Merino entries from across all the combing groups.

Exhibitors and members of the public were also treated to a fashion parade, staged to showcase the important place wool holds in the garment textile industry. Models paraded knitwear, woven suitings and felted garments from a range of Canterbury designers and fashion houses.

Garment collections from number of Waimakariri retail stores were also represented, along with Christchurch’s Ballantynes, and inspiring designs from CPIT students and woolcraft experts such as Shona Schofield, Sue Giller, Margaret Stove, and Beverley Forrester.

Children also displayed knitwear along with their prized pet lambs, specially groomed for the occasion, led by local merino ram Billy T.

The renowned Icebreaker and SmartWool labels – important wool-users to the finewool sheep industry – took to the runway as well.