Start made to plan for 1980 ploughing

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 14

Start made to plan for 1980 ploughing

The first steps in the organisation of the second word ploughing contest to be held in New Zealand were taken at a meeting at Lincoln this week, not far away from where the contest will be held in May, ]980,0n the properties of Messrs J. F. and B. F. Smith.

The first contest was also held in May, 1967, in the same area. It attracted 26 ploughmen from 15 countries and resulted in a tie for the top place between the youthful Paavo Tuominen, from Finland, and Gunnar Johansson, from Sweden. A former New Zealand champion ploughman, Mr R. M. Kingsbury, from Wakanui in Mid-Canterbu-ry, has been appointed chairman of the main organising committee for the contest by the executive committee of the New Zealand Ploughing Association. Mr Kingsbury, who was the winner of the third national championships held near Inver-

cargill in 1958, presided over this week’s meeting. He said that the executive committee had applied for the right to hold a further world contest and had been allocated the 1980 event. The committee had decided that it should be held in May of that year and in the Lincoln district. Many of those attending this week’s inaugural meeting for the 1980 contest had already helped to organise a world contest that had been conducted very successfully, he said. Another former New Zealand champion ploughman, who will be taking a prominent part in the organisation of the next world event, Mr I. B.

Blair. from Outram, Otago, confirmed that the organisation of the 1967 event in New Zealand had been the equal of those he had attended in Rhodesia in 1968 and in Sweden last year.

Mr Blair is the convener of the important finance sub-committee for the 1980 contest. He won the New Zealand ploughing championship held on a very stormy day before the world match began at Lincoln, and then ploughed in the world match that year and also in the world match in the following year in Rhodesia. Mr Kingsbury said that one of the problems as far as the 1980 event was concerned would be finance and mentioned thaj: one of the major items would be the cost of accommodating the competitors and officials. He called for an early budget.

Mr Blair said that a fee of some $9OOO to $lO,OOO would have to be paid to the World Ploughing Organisation to hold the contest, but this will not be payable until the time of the contest.

After Mr Kingsbury reported that an approach

had been made to the principal of Lincoln College, Professor J. D. Stewart, and accommodation booked for about 100 competitors, managers and others for the week ending May 16 and 17, 1980, the meeting decided that Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, should be the dates for the contest. The New Zealand championships will be held on the two days prior to the W’orld match. Mr L. L. Carpenter, who is the president of the Lincoln Ploughing Match Association, was elected deputy-chairman of the organising committee, and Mr P. F. Wood, the secretary of the New Zealand Ploughing Association and also of the Lincoln association, the secretary of the organising committee. The two worked togeth-

er in 1967 when they were official liaison officers to the contest ploughmen. As well as Mr Blair as convener of the finance sub-committee, the meeting also confirmed Mr Carpenter as convener of the grounds sub-com-mittee, Mr A. L. Coleman (Geraldine) as convener of the ceremonial sub-com-mittee, Mr J. S. Rawlinson (Methven) as convener of the exhibits committee and J. C. Kyle (Seadown) as convener of the vintage machinery sub-committee. Subsequently these conveners began to form their committees out of those attending the meeting, who with those w r ho had sent apologies and also members of the national executive of the New Zealand Ploughing Association were officially constituted the main organising committee.

Mr Coleman was also a sub-committee convener for the 19(57 contest. Then he headed the ground committee. Conveners have still to be finalised for the programme, ladies and publicity sub-committees.