Clydesdale magic keeps traditions alive
Ploughing with ‘Clydeys’ is a generational thing. Kelsey Wilkie reports.
When the Clydesdale lets out a loud, drawnout fart, Derrick Thornton doesn’t bat an eye.
He grew up with horses. He’s used to it. He was in the Waikato at the weekend to compete in horseploughing, a rare skill in this century.
Most of those in New Zealand who still know how to do it gathered in Pirongia on Saturday to show everyone else how it’s done.
Clydesdales from the Pirongia Clydesdales & Coach House Cafe provided the horsepower. They trudged along, churning the soil over for the ploughing competition.
The day, which began at 10am on Saturday, was held by Pirongia Clydesdales in conjunction with the Waikato Heavy Horse Society and had a training and learning focus. Now in its fourth year, the annual event raised money for the Westpac Air Ambulance.
Kylie Northcott was competing against Thornton, her father. Northcott was once loathe to take up the tradition, but now it’s become her weekend pleasure. ’’She thought she could do it better than Dad,’’ Thornton said.
The 74-year-old had it easier than his daughter. He has an Amish plough that allows him to sit. He has bad hips.
It’s a skill that’s been passed on through the family’s generations. Thornton grew up on a farm. ’’I’ve been doing this as long as I can remember,’’ he says as he leans back and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. ’’Paddocks need cultivating and it’s cheaper than getting a contractor in to do it, so I ended up doing it myself.
‘‘In them days, we didn’t have tractors. We did the farm work with the horses.’’
The annual ploughing day pulls a predominantly older crowd. A few families with small children went along for a fun day out. Kingi and Keith Fryer travelled down from Kaitaia specifically for the event.
For Kingi Fryer, this is a dream day out. She wants to learn to plough. ’’A lot of the people who do it are old-timers and it’s really hard to find them. I want to buy some harness gear and go ploughing, I need to connect with people who do it.
‘‘When you get behind a Clydey, and you just see those pistons move, there’s nothing like it.
‘‘You can sit on top of a horse and it’s totally different.
‘‘You get behind them and see that sheer power. It’s beautiful. It’s just power. I can’t think of anything that compares to it.’’