FRIENDSHIPS PROMOTED BY WORLD PLOUGHING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29269, 29 July 1960, Page 19

FRIENDSHIPS PROMOTED BY WORLD PLOUGHING

For Mr J. C. (Jim) Brooker, the Canterbury ploughman who was New Zealand's first ploughing champion, a leading recollection of the world contest that he took part in at Shillingford near Oxford in England in 1956 was the great spirit of friendship that was engendered among the 26 odd competitors. This surmounted old war-time bitternesses. Up to last Christmas Mr Brooker still received a Christmas card from a German competitor at the 1956 match as well as from Swedish and Canadian competitors. “I think that these matches could do much good from point of view of world relationships,” said Mr Brooker the other day. Mr Brooker was placed eleventh that year when the contest was won for the third time by the famous Irish ploughman, Hugh Barr. He enjoyed the stubble ploughing on the first day of the match knowing that he was making a pretty good job in conditions that were similar to those he was used to in this country. The judges placed, him; highly that day—about third or fourth. In fact one of the judges placed him ahead of Hugh Barr. ■ The grassland ploughing was not, however, so easy. It was in a paddock where a gyrotiller had worked and there was a great mixture of soils and the terrain was patehy.. Though it was hot wanted for the match, it was considered that a good rain would

have improved the conditions. Still Mr Brooker was reasonably well placed. Last year’s world champion, W. L. McMillan, of Northern Ireland, had a plot alongside the New Zealander that day. Mr Brooker was a judge at the New Zealand championships at Hastings last year. He considers that the first six competitors did better ploughing than any competitor in grass at Shillingford. Every competing country, apart from New Zealand, had a judge at the 1956 match and some countries had obviously found it difficult to find a suitable judge. One European judge did his assessment of the work from the headland in brown shoes. But Mr Brooker found identity of views about ploughing among the English, Canadians and New Zealanders. The Americana—spectators and competitors—added a touch of colour to the Oxford match in their ten-gallon bats, Mr Brooker recalls. The excellence of the organisation for the match also impressed the New Zealander. The world secretary, Alfred Hall, took up station on the field in a caravan three weeks before the match and as headquarters for the match a building like a house was erected. The field was connected with the telephone service and had a mail service. Two typists were on the office staff. Mr Brooker carried with him a piece of dark greyish polished granite with the name New Zealand in white lettering for incorporation in the Cairn of Peace which was erected by the roadside with pieces of stone inlaid from each country taking part, with a replica of a plough on top provided by Canada. Mr Brooker recalls that Holland was not able to produce a piece of stone but one was found for them in England. The cairn remains' as a memorial of this match. After the match Mr Brooker went on a week’s bus tour of England with other competitors. This gave him an excellent opportunity to get to know them Most of them could speak English and all managers were able to. An agricultural contractor at Hawarden, Mr Brooker has just taken over a 200-acre farm at Loburn. He has not attempted to qualify for the New Zealand championships since 1956. He says that he would like to go again to a world match to renew old friendships, but pressure of work and a feeling that others should have an opportunity to go has influenced him in keeping out of the competition.