Methven’s Matt Ridge and Rakaia’s Tryphena Carter will compete at the New Zealand Ploughing Championships in Methven this weekend.
The pair, both seasoned competitors, will be up against nine of New Zealand’s best in the conventional class of the competition, including defending national champion, Mark Dillon.
The event, which includes a festive country fair, is being hosted by members of the Methven Ploughing Association, at Andrew Currie’s property, Dip Rd, Methven on April 18 and 19.
Nine competitors will also compete in vintage class, three in horse, three in contemporary and four in the reversible class including defending champion Malcolm Taylor.
Association chairperson Bruce Redmond said the event had been about three years in the planning, now the weather just needed to play ball.
And the cost of diesel, he added.
Organisers have a party atmosphere planned with food stalls, trade stalls, pony rides, bouncy castles, balloon rides, dinosaur dig, tractor pull as well as demonstrations around the grounds including thrashing mills, blacksmiths and traction engines.
It was set to appeal to people of all ages and encourage families to attend, Redmond said.
Prizegiving is 4pm on Sunday.
The first New Zealand Ploughing Championships were at Papakaio, near Oamaru in 1956.
It followed an invitation from the World Ploughing Organisation to select a New Zealand competitor to participate in the world contest being run at Oxford, England in October 1956.
Federated Farmers contacted all plough associations to outline contest rules and selection, and in May 1956 the first annual general meeting was held followed by the first Atlantic Silver Plough contest.
The Silver Plough Trophy, awarded to the winner, is modelled on the antique plough first used in the Dominion by missionary Rev JG Butler. That plough is preserved in the Old Colonists’ Museum in Auckland.
Next week at Methven, both New Zealand Champions will use the competition as a sounding board for their appearance at the World Championships in Croatia in September.
While the reversible and conventional class winners at Methven will get to represent New Zealand at the World Championships in Kenya in 2027.
– New Zealand Ploughing Championships and Methven Country Fair, Dip Rd, Methven April 18 and 19 from 9am each day. Cost $10 per person, children under 12 free. Food vendors, trade stalls, bouncy castle, pony rides, balloon rides, tractor pull, vintage demonstrations.
