Ploughing Matches Again

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30745, 8 May 1965, Page 10

Ploughing Matches Again

JT is back to ploughing match time again and the first qualifying round in Canterbury for the New Zealand ploughing championships is set down for next Wednesday in the Geraldine area. Already the first qualifying rounds have been held in the North Island. After the Geraldine match a series of events will be held in Canterbury in June and July prior to the New Zealand championships which well be held on the property of Mr W. A. Hood, at Chertsey, on July 17. A Canterbury man, Mr D. J. Stewart, of Rosebank, Rakaia, will be among the judging team that day. He will actually be judging on his son-in-law’s property. Mr Stewart began match ploughing with horses about 1935 and after a year with the horses moved into tractor ploughing and after two years experience in the local district competed in matches from Rangiora to Papakaio with success. He has been judging qualifying rounds of the Atlantic Silver Plough since the second year that the event was held and judged at the New Zealand championships at Rotorua two years ago. He is a member of the committee of the Rakaia Ploughing Match Association which is making the arrangements for this year’s match. Mr Stewart said this week that there was a good paddock for this year’s final and with the rain that had fallen it should be in good order for the final. Mr E. A. E. Fairhall, of Blenheim, who is vicepresident of the New Zealand Ploughing Association and

last year was manager to the New Zealand champion Mr E. J. Croy when he went to the world final in Austria, will also be a judge. The other judges are Messrs J. D. Gibson, (Winton), E. Gutschlag, (Gore), and F. R. Robertson, (Wairarapa). The reserve judges are Messrs F. C. King, (Papakura), D. Lindsay. (Invercargill) and J. Y. S. McGiffert, (Rangiora), who judged in Rotorua. Dates of qualifying events of interest to readers of “The Press” are: May 12, Geraldine; June 2, Hororata; June 5, Marlborough; June 7, Nelson: June 10, Methven; June 12, Papakaio; June 16, Waimate; June 19, Timaru; June 24, North Canterbury; July 1, Lincoln; July 8, Courtenay-Paparua.