November 9, 2025 • 7 mins
For the first time in more than 10 years, the Canterbury Show will hold Royal Agricultural and Pastoral Show of New Zealand status. This year’s show will run from Thursday, November 13, to Saturday, November 15, a shift from its traditional Wednesday start.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But the show must go on. Let's welcome on to
the show, Sir David Carter. The blow can charge the
chair or the president. What is it, David of the
christ Church or Canterbury Amp Show.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie. It's the Canterbury Amp Show. No,
I'm not the president. Brent Chamberlain is the president and
doing a stunning job of being president of the Canterbury
Amp Association. I chair a commercial board that was brought
in to sort of oversee and assist the committee from
the association.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
What happened to the New Zealand Agricultural Show, because I
always thought that was a bit strange.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, I could never quite understand that either it was
an invention of the previous board. We've gone back to
basics very much so where the Canterbury Amp Show. We've
been the Canterbury AREMP Show for sixty one hundred and
sixty odd years and we're going to remain that way.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
You were head and shoulders easily the biggest and the
best show in the country, but you lost your mojo
there for a while. David.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, the mojo was certainly of course. I got involved
about eighteen months ago when it was decided they wouldn't
even run the show. I said, how can you have
Canterbury Show Week without the show got involved? We had
a reduced show last year. We're back to four numbers
this time. It's going to be a very good show.
Couple with a Royal show. Yeah, already planning to work
(01:19):
on the show for twenty sex. So we're back. We've
got a good stability there. We're part of Show Week.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And for the first time in more than ten years,
the Canterbury Show will hold Royal Agriculture Agricultural and Pastoral
Show of n Z status. So you're a royal show.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We're a Royal show. After as you say, ten years,
Royal Agricultural Society approached us, we felt we were fully
recovered and able to put on a good show and
therefore took on Royal show status. Worked closely with the
Royal agg Society to make sure that we do their classes.
According to the book, it's going to be a good show.
(01:58):
It's also meant, with some sense, increase lifetong numbers.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Traditionally the show would start on a Wednesday. Now you've
gone from a Thursday to Saturday format.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
We found that people weren't really coming in great numbers
on a Wednesday. We also wanted to give ourselves a
bit more weather proofing. We then by moving it to
a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, we get two
public holidays in Canterbury because of course Friday is show
day or anniversary Day, and it just means that we're
less at risk one of those days turns nasty with
(02:33):
the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, we'll get a weather forecast for you a bit
later on the show from our weather guy Phil Dunker,
but no doubt you've done your own homework on it.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, it's a bit hard to tell at the moment.
They're talking about the odd share of rain coming through
on Thursday. That wouldn't be too bad because the farmers
actually around Canterbury are starting to meet that rain. It's
a Friday and Saturday that brings the city folk to
the showgrounds. That's important that we get good weather those
two days.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You've gone back to the future, as I said, back
to what or back to the basics of what AMP
shows were founded on. And of course they were founded
on livestock.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And that's great that we've now seen big numbers of
live stock coming back over seven hundred sheep entries close
to four hundred dairy cattle coming in and similar numbers
to beef cattle. And then you have your other breeds,
the pigs, the ol packers, et cetera. So and a
huge horse entry has always been a huge equestrian show.
So the livestock numbers are back. But the other important
(03:31):
aspect of the AMP Association for me is about this
town and country mixing together and that's a critical part
of agriculture. It needs to make its presence known to
the urban environment and being New Zealand's second biggest city,
christ Church is important to costures. People have the opportunity
to interact with agriculture.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
You were born in bed bred Cantabrian, aren't you, David. Indeed,
indeed it runs in your veins right No, I know,
hone and you can what shrugby with just one eye
and still enjoy it. But christ Church is a town
that's really on the rise at the moment. In fact,
of all New Zealand cities, it seems to be the
one that's doing the best. Maybe put Queens down to
(04:11):
one side, but christ Church is on a bit of
a high well.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Of course, it took a long time to recover from
those earthquakes. From the recovery, we're seeing a city with
a lot of good attributes to the stadium opens not
too far away. We've got the sporting facilities inside town itself,
lots of bars, lots of restaurants that have opened up
the strip. There's a great attraction for younger people. But
Telsale signed for me. As the two universities Lincoln and Canterbury,
(04:38):
their numbers are well up as students from around New
Zealand decide, the Canterbury and christ churches are happening grace
and that's why the population's booming.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Couple to finish on your reference to the dry weather,
are you saying the farmers wouldn't mind some rain on
Thursday if it meant that some of it could land
on their farms. You're farming on Banks Peninsula. I know
it's dry there. North Canterbury's getting really quite dry and
the problem for some of those poor buggers for excuse
my language there, but that they can't even turn their
(05:09):
irrigators on because they got smashed in the wind. Event.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah no, so Benks Bonanza. We're okay at the moment.
We could do with the rain but every November we
always look for rain. North Canterbury is getting very very dry,
so the sheep and beef guys there are going to
face some difficulties unless we get a rain. And then,
as you mentioned around that Colvin and Nation area with
the wind damage a couple of weeks ago, irrigators out
(05:34):
and I'm told they're getting parts in to New Zealand
to fix those errogators. There could be a long wait.
So some of those highly productive dairy guys that rely
on irrigation have certainly got some challenges ahead of them.
I feel for them.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, we all do. Just a final comment of the
passing of Roger McLay, of course, the father of our
current Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McLay. But I know
you were involved back in the day with Roger McLay.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
He was a delightful guy. I stood, of course in
ninety four in that by election, which was a short campaign.
It was pretty tense at the time because the very
survival of Jim Bolger's government depended on that one seat.
Roger McLay was the guy detailed to come down and
spend time with me and just show me the ropes
really and we developed a lovely relationship. We both bore
(06:25):
greatly miss Roger and my condolences to his wife Dawn.
Last time I spoke to he was extremely proud of
Todd mcclay's efforts both as Minister and as Minister of Trade.
But he was a delightful man and will be sadly missed.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And a final comment from you on Todd McLay as
a former Minister of Agriculture yourself I reckoning well, certainly
from the outside looking in. I think he's doing a
pretty good job.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
His trade portfolio is doing an exceptional job and that's
his background, that's his skill, that's his love. If he
can pull off a deal with India and inside these
three years, that is a remarkable attievement. I wish he'm
all the best.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, he might be, Sir Todd McLay, like you, Sir David.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Carter, who knows the future, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
David, I will see you on Thursday at the show.
Looking forward to it. Hey, we're launching our twenty twenty
five Mackay's I believe it or not, it is a
hop oil and fused New Zealand pilsta I don't know
what that means, but I like you. We'll have a
taste on Thursday, so I'll invite you along to the
Emerson's Tiny Pub to join us there on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Looking forward to That's just another attraction at the show.
It's going to be a great one. See you so Jamie,
see it.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Sir David Carter there. The show must go on.
But the show must go on. Let's welcome on to
the show, Sir David Carter. The blow can charge the
chair or the president. What is it, David of the
christ Church or Canterbury Amp Show.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie. It's the Canterbury Amp Show. No,
I'm not the president. Brent Chamberlain is the president and
doing a stunning job of being president of the Canterbury
Amp Association. I chair a commercial board that was brought
in to sort of oversee and assist the committee from
the association.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
What happened to the New Zealand Agricultural Show, because I
always thought that was a bit strange.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, I could never quite understand that either it was
an invention of the previous board. We've gone back to
basics very much so where the Canterbury Amp Show. We've
been the Canterbury AREMP Show for sixty one hundred and
sixty odd years and we're going to remain that way.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
You were head and shoulders easily the biggest and the
best show in the country, but you lost your mojo
there for a while. David.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, the mojo was certainly of course. I got involved
about eighteen months ago when it was decided they wouldn't
even run the show. I said, how can you have
Canterbury Show Week without the show got involved? We had
a reduced show last year. We're back to four numbers
this time. It's going to be a very good show.
Couple with a Royal show. Yeah, already planning to work
(01:19):
on the show for twenty sex. So we're back. We've
got a good stability there. We're part of Show Week.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And for the first time in more than ten years,
the Canterbury Show will hold Royal Agriculture Agricultural and Pastoral
Show of n Z status. So you're a royal show.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We're a Royal show. After as you say, ten years,
Royal Agricultural Society approached us, we felt we were fully
recovered and able to put on a good show and
therefore took on Royal show status. Worked closely with the
Royal agg Society to make sure that we do their classes.
According to the book, it's going to be a good show.
(01:58):
It's also meant, with some sense, increase lifetong numbers.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Traditionally the show would start on a Wednesday. Now you've
gone from a Thursday to Saturday format.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
We found that people weren't really coming in great numbers
on a Wednesday. We also wanted to give ourselves a
bit more weather proofing. We then by moving it to
a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, we get two
public holidays in Canterbury because of course Friday is show
day or anniversary Day, and it just means that we're
less at risk one of those days turns nasty with
(02:33):
the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, we'll get a weather forecast for you a bit
later on the show from our weather guy Phil Dunker,
but no doubt you've done your own homework on it.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, it's a bit hard to tell at the moment.
They're talking about the odd share of rain coming through
on Thursday. That wouldn't be too bad because the farmers
actually around Canterbury are starting to meet that rain. It's
a Friday and Saturday that brings the city folk to
the showgrounds. That's important that we get good weather those
two days.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You've gone back to the future, as I said, back
to what or back to the basics of what AMP
shows were founded on. And of course they were founded
on livestock.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And that's great that we've now seen big numbers of
live stock coming back over seven hundred sheep entries close
to four hundred dairy cattle coming in and similar numbers
to beef cattle. And then you have your other breeds,
the pigs, the ol packers, et cetera. So and a
huge horse entry has always been a huge equestrian show.
So the livestock numbers are back. But the other important
(03:31):
aspect of the AMP Association for me is about this
town and country mixing together and that's a critical part
of agriculture. It needs to make its presence known to
the urban environment and being New Zealand's second biggest city,
christ Church is important to costures. People have the opportunity
to interact with agriculture.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
You were born in bed bred Cantabrian, aren't you, David. Indeed,
indeed it runs in your veins right No, I know,
hone and you can what shrugby with just one eye
and still enjoy it. But christ Church is a town
that's really on the rise at the moment. In fact,
of all New Zealand cities, it seems to be the
one that's doing the best. Maybe put Queens down to
(04:11):
one side, but christ Church is on a bit of
a high well.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Of course, it took a long time to recover from
those earthquakes. From the recovery, we're seeing a city with
a lot of good attributes to the stadium opens not
too far away. We've got the sporting facilities inside town itself,
lots of bars, lots of restaurants that have opened up
the strip. There's a great attraction for younger people. But
Telsale signed for me. As the two universities Lincoln and Canterbury,
(04:38):
their numbers are well up as students from around New
Zealand decide, the Canterbury and christ churches are happening grace
and that's why the population's booming.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Couple to finish on your reference to the dry weather,
are you saying the farmers wouldn't mind some rain on
Thursday if it meant that some of it could land
on their farms. You're farming on Banks Peninsula. I know
it's dry there. North Canterbury's getting really quite dry and
the problem for some of those poor buggers for excuse
my language there, but that they can't even turn their
(05:09):
irrigators on because they got smashed in the wind. Event.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah no, so Benks Bonanza. We're okay at the moment.
We could do with the rain but every November we
always look for rain. North Canterbury is getting very very dry,
so the sheep and beef guys there are going to
face some difficulties unless we get a rain. And then,
as you mentioned around that Colvin and Nation area with
the wind damage a couple of weeks ago, irrigators out
(05:34):
and I'm told they're getting parts in to New Zealand
to fix those errogators. There could be a long wait.
So some of those highly productive dairy guys that rely
on irrigation have certainly got some challenges ahead of them.
I feel for them.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, we all do. Just a final comment of the
passing of Roger McLay, of course, the father of our
current Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McLay. But I know
you were involved back in the day with Roger McLay.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
He was a delightful guy. I stood, of course in
ninety four in that by election, which was a short campaign.
It was pretty tense at the time because the very
survival of Jim Bolger's government depended on that one seat.
Roger McLay was the guy detailed to come down and
spend time with me and just show me the ropes
really and we developed a lovely relationship. We both bore
(06:25):
greatly miss Roger and my condolences to his wife Dawn.
Last time I spoke to he was extremely proud of
Todd mcclay's efforts both as Minister and as Minister of Trade.
But he was a delightful man and will be sadly missed.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And a final comment from you on Todd McLay as
a former Minister of Agriculture yourself I reckoning well, certainly
from the outside looking in. I think he's doing a
pretty good job.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
His trade portfolio is doing an exceptional job and that's
his background, that's his skill, that's his love. If he
can pull off a deal with India and inside these
three years, that is a remarkable attievement. I wish he'm
all the best.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, he might be, Sir Todd McLay, like you, Sir David.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Carter, who knows the future, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
David, I will see you on Thursday at the show.
Looking forward to it. Hey, we're launching our twenty twenty
five Mackay's I believe it or not, it is a
hop oil and fused New Zealand pilsta I don't know
what that means, but I like you. We'll have a
taste on Thursday, so I'll invite you along to the
Emerson's Tiny Pub to join us there on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Looking forward to That's just another attraction at the show.
It's going to be a great one. See you so Jamie,
see it.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Sir David Carter there. The show must go on.
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