World Ploughing In N.Z. Not Definite

Press, Volume C, Issue 29680, 25 November 1961, Page 14

World Ploughing In N.Z. Not Definite

No definite decision has been made by the World Ploughing Organisation yet to hold the 1907 world contest in New Zealand. This information was given to the executive committee ot the New Zealand Ploughing Association by Mr J. S. Marshall, jun., of Waiamwa, Southland, who attended a meeting of the governing board of the World Ploughing Organisation in France last month. Mr Marshals said the feeling of members of the governing board was that 1967 was a little too far away for the World Ploughing Organisation to commit itself at this stage. “But there is a good chance of the world contest being held here that year,” he said, adding that in informal discussions he had received general agreement from most of the member countries to send only one competitor to New Zealand in 1907 if the world event was held here. Normally the European countries send two ploughmen to the world contest, but because of the expense involved New Zealand sends only one. The World Ploughing Organisation had held the de. cision on a final in New Zealand in abeyance until next year, when a definite decision would be made at a meeting of *Ae governing board due to be held in Hol. land in November, he said. Rejected Mr Marshal' said that the World Ploughing Organisation had received a suggestion from the sponsors of the world event that it might be held every two years instead of annually. It was the feeling of member countries that this would be a retrograde step, he said, and he had personally moved that the event should definitely be held annually and his proposal had received unanimous support. Mr Marshall, in addition to representing New Zealand at the meeting of the governing board of the World Ploughing Organisation, also acted as manager to the New Zealand champion ploughman. Mr H. A. Magson. of Rokeby who finished second in the world final at Grignon in France. He praised the performance of the New Zealand ploughman. "He proved to be a very conscientious and thorough competitor who endeavoured to gain points in all aspects of ploughing," said Mr Mar-

shall. “He had particularly tidy ins and outs and the general appearance of his plots on both days showed that he was a truly expert ploughman. He definitely justified his placing, and it was the opinion of some unofficial judges that he possibly should have won the event "Having not used a full digger plough previously he spent most of his time in practice on stubble ploughing and this proved most worth while as his finished job on the stubble plot put him in third place. His grassland ploughing, which was also of a very high standard, earned him sixth placing.” Mr Marshall strongly supported the principle of a manager accompanying the ploughing champion to the world final to relieve him of some of his responsibilities. He said that high-speed air travel to Europe from New Zealand alone was quite fatiguing tor a New Zealander used to an outdoor life. The organisation of New Zealand ploughing finals for the Atlantic Silver Plough compared more than favourably with the world contest he had seen, he said. The host association in this country received more assistance from the New Zealand association than had the host country for the world match from the World Ploughing Organisation. The next world ploughing match would be held in Holland on October 4 and 5 next year on Government owned reclaimed land. In 1963 the world match would be held just outside Toronto on October 11 and 12. It would be preceded by the national match and between the two contests there would be some 800 competitors which would represent the greatest gathering of ploughmen ever held in the world.