Rural Games a wet winner
Punters flocked to the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games over the weekend, braving the rain and the mud to welcome the country to the city.
Thousands of people attended the opening day of the games in Feilding on Friday and despite a slow start on Saturday and Sunday, because of the rain, people still filled The Square in Palmerston North.
Less than 200 people trickled in to see the New Zealand speed fencing championship about 9.30am on Saturday, but by noon, the crowds had started to gather.
As the dark clouds cleared, hundreds turned into what appeared to be thousands by 1.30pm.
Rural Games founder and trustee Steve Hollander said the rain was not affecting the activities.
‘‘It is free for spectators, so they come and go with many waiting until it was not raining.’’
He said when it came to egg throwing and catching, ‘‘the rain would just wash the egg of some people’s faces’’.
Among those undeterred by the weather was Olympic gold medallist Dame Valerie Adams, in town for the games, who added gumboot throwing champion to her list of sporting accolades.
Despite having never tossed a gumboot before, she tried her hand at the gumboot throwing championship competition, beating the title holder and falling about a metre short of setting a new record.
Fellow Olympian Mahe Drysdale didn’t have quite as much success in the men’s round.
Sales representative Joseph Lord, from Stock-ade, which sells fencing staplers, was disappointed with Saturday morning’s turnout. Once the fencing competition was finished his main clientele would be gone, he said.
More optimistic was Manawatu Toyota chief executive Debbie Hart, who said the number of people slowly built up on Saturday.
Camille Dillon, from Hawke’s Bay, planned to stay all day as her husband was in the fencing competition in the morning.
‘‘We’ll have a little look around Palmerston North.
‘‘A bit of rain is good. We haven’t had very much at home.’’
Events on Saturday included
Among those undeterred by the weather was Olympic gold medallist Dame Valerie Adams, in town for the games, who added gumboot throwing champion to her list of sporting accolades.
the Fonterra speed milking event, a wood chopping competition and cow-pat tossing.
By Sunday, The Square was full of spectators and participants who gave wine-barrel racing and olive spitting a go.
Egg-throwing also proved popular as people tossed eggs across The Square, hoping they would land in a team member’s hands without a crack.
A speed shearing competition on Sunday had a cover hastily rigged for the shearers and sheep when the rain returned.