N.Z. Could Produce World Champion

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

N.Z. Could Produce World Champion

It is the opinion of Mr William Divan, of Rosewill, who is president of the Umaru Ploughing Match Association and a judge and ploughing administrator of long standing a* well a* a successful ploughman, that the day is not far distant when a New Zealander will win the world ploughing championship. Mr Divan ha* been judging Atlantic Silver Plough classes for the last four year* and over that period he say* that there ha* been a vast improvement in the standard of work. A* an example of this he said that four yean ago the judge* would have been

pleased to see the man who was fourth at oh* of this year’s qualifying matches placed first. Ploughmen in New Zealand were not used to the type of ploughing that had to be done for the championship, he said, but he was quite satisfied that in the different types of ploughing that they were accustomed to New Zealand had ploughmen of world class. Mr Divan recalled being told by a man who had seen a world championship that if the New Zealand competitor that year had a little more practice he would be capable of winning the title. It was perhaps unfortunate that New Zealand did not send the sam* competitor tor two or three years, be said.