Ploughing champs keep Waikato on straight and narrow

Family-friendly event has trades and food trucks

It’s all go in Horotiu this weekend as the nation’s best ploughmen and women take to the field for the Power Farming New Zealand Ploughing Championship. Hosted by the Waikato Ploughing Club, on behalf of the New Zealand Ploughing Association, the championship includes competitors who have qualified at a regional event around the country.

They will compete in four classes, Conventional, Reversible, Vintage and Horse ploughing.

The winners of the Conventional and Reversible classes will then be selected to represent New Zealand at the World Ploughing Championship in the Czech Republic in 2025.

The sport enjoyed national recognition this year with ploughing legend Bob Mehrtens making it as a finalist for Rural Sportsman of the Year at the 2024 Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.

Mehrtens, from Timaru, has represented New Zealand at 14 World Ploughing Contests.

Although he didn’t take out the Rural Sportsman of the Year title, it was great to have ploughing “on the radar” at the awards, New Zealand Plough Association president Ian Woolley said.

Also busy planning and preparing for the event has been Te Awamutu’s Alan Wallace.

Wallace is a Te Awamutu Walk of Fame inductee for his ploughing feats.

A New Zealand champion, he went to four World Championships, winning the title on his last attempt in 1981.

He then successfully turned his hand to coaching and in 2010 coached Bruce Redmond to New Zealand’s third world title when the champs were hosted in this country.

Organisers said the competition site was harvested last week when the team was busy marking plots and public areas.

The event is family-friendly and open to the public, with trade sites and food trucks available.

The Power Farming New Zealand Ploughing Championship starts on Saturday, April 13, and finishes on Sunday, April 14, at 264 Crawford Rd, Horotiu.

The site opens both days at 7.30am, with a parade to plots at 10.15am, and the action kicking off at 11am.

Photo / Dean Taylor Photo / Dean Taylor Photo / NZ Ploughing Championship 2024 Facebook page Fred Pilling (left) from Hamilton competing with his team Bonnie and Janet in 2012 at St Kilda, Cambridge. The competition site (below) is ready for the Ploughing Championship this weekend.

All concentration at the 2012 National Ploughing Championships at St Kinda, Cambridge.

Photo / Dean Taylor Vintage agricultural machinery is an added attraction for visitors.