N.Z. Man Second In Ploughing Contest

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 16

N.Z. Man Second In Ploughing Contest

GRIGNON (France), October 2. Mr Alan Magson, of Rokeby, MidCanterbury, waa placed second in a field of 32 at the world ploughing championship which ended at Grignon yesterday. He scored 140.15 points out of a possible 200.

The winner was a Canadian, William Dickson, with 144.1 pointe, and in third place was a Norwegian, Hana Sy-Hing, with 138.85. Competitors came from 17 countries. The two-day competition included one test on stubble ground and a second on grassland. President Charles de Gaulle watched toe start of the contest. National Seeeeases Mr Magson, aged 39 years, Is one of the country's most consistently successful plough men. He has been highly placed in four out of the five national ploughing contests held In this country. Before winning the national title and the Atlantic Silver Plough at Taieri at the end of July this year he had a second and two thirds to his credit Mr Magson, who comes from Rokeby, near Rakaia. farms a property of 840 acres in partnership with his brothers, Jack and Ivan. He began ploughing with a sixhorse team more than 20 years ago. and has been match ploughing since about 1951.

For his family at Rokeby yesterday was something of a red letter day. They moved into a new brick home, and at about 11 a.m. Mrs Magson received a telephone call from Mr W. A. Hearn, Sou’h Island manager for the Atlantic Union Oil Company, the organisation which is sponsoring her husband’s trip to France, giving her the first news of her husband’s success. Almost simultaneously Mrs Magson received a tele<gram from the New Zealand manager of the company, Mr E. J. Melrose.

Mrs Magson, who was expecting a telephone eall from her husband, said that a letter he had written the day after he arrived in Franc, indicated that the country was having one of Its driest spells for 50 years, with no rain for three months.

Mr G. C. Hurst, president of the New Zealand Ploughing Association, said at Papakalo, near Oamaru, last night that Mr Magson had put New Zealand ploughing on the map. It would be a great boost to ploughing, he said, and augured well for the world championship meeting which it was expected would be held in New Zealand in 1967.