N.Z. COMPETITOR’S PLOUGH BROKE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 1

N.Z. COMPETITOR’S PLOUGH BROKE

Bad luck apparently befell New Zealand’s representative, E. J. Croy, of Wakanui, who was placed thirty-seventh in the world ploughing championships held in Austria last week.

According to a cable received yesterday by the head office of the Atlantic Union Oil Company (N.Z.), Ltd., in Wellington from Mr Croy’s manager. Mr E. A. E. Fairhall, of Blenheim, the Canterbury man’s plough was bent and broken during the match. No further details of the mishap were given in the cable. No word has been received at Mr Croy’s home at Wakanui since the match, according to an inquiry made last evening. A spokesman for the company, Mr P. G. Wilkinson, said yesterday that in a letter written before the match Mr Fairhall had reported that the area where the match was going to be held was very dry and parched—rather like Marlborough in mid-summer —and temperatures were high with a haze over the country reminiscent of Canterbury in summer. A start was going to be made to irrigate the plots. There had been a plague of mice on the grassland plots and though an attempt had been made to poison them it was thought likely that as the mice had burrowed into the ground the ploughing might have a rather untidy appearance. The ploughing ground was not as flat as had been expected, the stubble land being

uneven. The cover on the grassland plots consisted mainly of lucerne, with a sprinkling of cocksfoot and a little ryegrass.