Rural Games run riot in the middle of town
The third New Zealand Rural Games are coming to Feilding and Palmerston North this weekend, featuring a raft of events with their roots deep in the country’s farming heritage.
These are no-nonsense roll-upyour-sleeves-and-give-it-a-heave activities, such as speed fencing and speed shearing, coal shovelling, dog trialling, hand milking and tree climbing, as well as iconic novelty events involving gumboot and egg throwing, cowpat tossing, barrel racing and olive pit spitting.
Rural games founder Steve Hollander said the public can have a crack at events such as egg tossing, while other competitions will have the crowds in awe at the level of skill, strength and athleticism involved.
‘‘Fresh from the Golden Shears, we’ve got the top shearers – Hawkes Bay’s Roland Smith, who won the event, runner-up Aaron Haynes, from Feilding, and others who work hard to make sure they are in the top 10, because these are national titles and there are some pretty good prizes.’’
Tree climbing doesn’t have a big profile in New Zealand, but the top speed climbers from New Zealand and Australia will be competing.
Another muscling up to the event will be Kiwi strongman and twice Rural Games champion Reuben de Jong in the Highland heavies division. Hollander said de Jong had a heavyweight chasing pack of Aussies and Kiwis trying to take the title off him.
Among the other competitions taking place on the events quadrant of The Square will be the New Zealand Women’s DIY Challenge. The three finalists, Carly Taiaroa, from Taranaki, Rebecca Rogers, from Paraparaumu, and Rachel Lawrie, from Invercargill, fought their way through a record number of entries.
The free-to-see games kick off in Feilding on Friday with the Running of the Wools – 1000 sheep herded through the town streets from 11.15am.