Farm and station World ploughing now only a year away

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 8

Farm and station World ploughing now only a year away

In about a year’s time New Zealand will, for the second time, be the site of the world ploughing championships. On May 16 and 17 next year in the Lincoln district, 21 km from Christchurch, the world’s top ploughmen will be pitting their skills against each other in stubble and then grassland ploughing for the premier ploughing trophy in the world, the Golden Plough.

On almost exactly the same site the fourteenth world contest was held in New Zealand in May, 1967, when a Swede, Gunnar Johansson, and a Finn, Paavo Tuominen, tied for the title.

New Zealand ploughmen have not yet reached this pinnacle, but they have come very close on two occasions — in France in 1961 when the late Alan Magson from Rokeby in Mid-Canterbury was the runner-up and in 1971 in England when Alan J. Wallace, of Te Awamutu, filled the same position. Since then New Zealanders have been consistently up near the top. In the Netherlands in 1977 John Thornton, from Momona in Otago, was third and lan Miller from Southland equal fourth, and last year in West Germany Noel Sheat, from Palmerston in Otago, was also fourth. Maybe on their home ground next year New Zealand ploughmen will attain the ultimate, but before tliat in Northern Ireland in September this year they will be working with that same objective in view in the twenty-sixth world contest. Since late in 1977 a committee has been work-! ing away quietly in Canterbury planning for next year's contest. It is under the chairmanship of Mr R. M. (Bob) Kingsbury, of Wakanui in MidCanterbury, who is himself a former national champion having won the third national contest in 1958 and then ploughed in West Germany in the world match that year. At the time of the world championships in Germany again last year Bob asked the governing board of the World Ploughing Organisation for an indication of how many countries would be sending competitors to New Zealand next year. All 19 countries competing in Germany then replied in the affirmative and Bob said recently that at this stage a field of 38 ploughmen from 19 countries was expected. Bob said that plans for the big event were well up to date. “I am extremely happy with the way that my sub-com-mittees have been working,” he said recently.

The world match and also the 1980 New Zealand championships on the previous two days will be held on the properties of Messrs J. F. (Jim) and B. F. (Bruce) Smith. The Smiths have been most co-operative in working in with the organisers and at a meeting of the organising committee last week their offer of another paddock for the New Zealand stubble ploughing final was gratefully accepted to ease pressure on space for fho wnrld rnntpet with itc

likely big tally of ploughmen. According to grounds committee convener, Mr L. L. Carpenter, about 68 ha of the Smiths’ land will be used for ploughing and other purposes during the big week next year. The world ploughmen will be ploughing Kopara wheat stubble and grass sown in the autumn last year. The soil on the Smith farms is deep by New Zealand standards and free working and with good drainage. Closer to the time of next year’s event Mr Carpenter and his helpers will have to erect some skm of fencing on the match site. While this will clearly be a great ploughing event, the occasion will not be all ploughing by any means.

Christchurch’s Mayor, Mr Hamish Hay, will be extending a civic reception to the visiting ploughmen and officials and convener of the ceremonial committee, Mr A. L. Coleman (Christchurch) also reported to the last meeting of the organising committee that Christchurch Cathedral’s dean had expressed great pleasure at the prospect of organising a service in the cathedral at which both the Golden Plough and the Atlantic Silver Plough, the trophy for the New Zealand championships, will be dedicated. Both the ' Ellesmere and Paparua County Councils have also agreed to sponsor a welcome supper for the visiting ploughmen and officials. The latter council has also agreed in principle to the siting of the cairn of nPAfp includina q nipep of

stone from each of the competing countries, which is erected to commemorate the match and mark its site after every world contest. The cairn to mark next year’s cantest will consist of a mighty greywacke boulder weighing about three tonnes and a half from Mount Somers station in Mid-Canterbury and it will be located close to the cairn which was placed at the corner of Robinsons and Springs roads after the last world contest in the district. The two cairns are distinctive and will be separate from each other although adjacent.

The presence of two cairns so close together will be unique in the world for while world contests have frequently been held more than once in a country it is understood that in no country before will two contests have been held on Virtually the same ground. A varied programme is being planned for the contest, it being realised that even the best ploughing in the world cannot be expected to hold the absolute attention of all

spectators for all of two days, or four days taking the New Zealand championships into account too.

The convener of the exhibits sub-committee, Mr J. S, Rawlinson, of Methven, is hoping that there will be a trade display of agricultural machinery and equipment rivalling that at the Christchurch show.

There will also be dog trials featuring the animal that like the plough makes such an important contribution to New Zealand’s farming industry. Other dogs, too, will be seen going through their paces. —Police dogs and German Shepherds. It is hoped also to arrange Maori entertainment and to have aerobatics on the programme, and there will be something of the fun of the fair with merry-go-rounds and similar equipment and helicopter rides.. In these days when there is much interest in old-time agricultural equipment and machinery it is hoped to make a special feature of this at the contest; Mr J. C. Kyle, another former national ploughing champion, from Seadown in South Canterbury, is heading the subcommittee looking after this sid.3 of the contest. His committee is seeking applications from people with old pieces of farm machinery or equipment already restored or which could be restored in time for the contest next year for entry in the exhibition. The aim is to have a good cross section of oldtime machinerv and equip-

ment. which is in good condition. It is not desired to have several examples of the same item, and it is for this reason that applications are being sought so that the organisers can be selective.

Of course, because it is a ploughing occasion old ploughs will have a special place of honour. Such implements dating up to 1950 ay be accepted and one or two more modern ploughs may be included for contrast.

Among the old ploughs it is hoped to have the first plough ever used in New Zealand. This was used by a missionary, the Rev. J. G. Butler, at Keri Keri in the Bay of Islands on May 3, 1820. Mr Kyle says that an offer has been received to send it down for the occasion and it is hoped that it will arrive well before the contest so that it can be used for publicity purposes.

But the exhibition will be open to agricultural items of all tvpes and Mr

Kyle expects that there will be at least 200 ihdividual exhibits. Application forms were sent out in the last issue of "Vintage Farming,” a journal which has a circulation of just on 700 in New Zealand and overseas. However the secretary of the sub-committee. Mr Alan Lewis, of 61 Boston Avenue, Christchurch, to whom applications should be forwarded by June I, says that applications can also be made on paper other than the application form if people so wish. But applications will only be accepted in writing ' J'' Apart from the stationary engines, there will be no chance of demonstrating the old machines and implements at work because of space limitations. The only working demonstrations will be of ploughing by an old-time draught horse team provided by Mr K. J. Stewart, of Lincoln, and a bullock team belonging to Mr Murray Thacker, of Okains Bay, an old-time wooden threshing mill powered by a traction engine, an old-time chaffcutter and also possibly a stationary baler to bale" the straw residue from the threshing. Mr Kyle also hopes that it will be possible to have a photographic display in

a building on the same site of old-time ploughing photographs and old pictures of other farming activities of former days. A women’s committee is also busy at work under the leadership of Bob Kingsbury’s wife, who with her daughter were at last year’s world championships in West Germany promoting the New Zealand contest. The women's committee recently raised more than $5OO for the contest funds through a cake and produce stall at Riccarton and a raffle. They have also set up a sub-committee, to handle the Queen of the Furrow contest, which is always a feature of the ploughing championships in New Zealand. Air New Zealand is providing the first prize for this event as well as helping in other ways with the world contest. Money is, of course, a vital part of the , whole exercise and finance committee convener, Mr I. B. Blair, another former national ploughing champion, who comes from Outram in. Otago, says that the whole affair is likely to cost something like $60,000. Clearly the organisers will be looking for fine days next May and big turn-outs of the public to help offset the big ex-

penses they are facing in matters ' like accommodation of visiting, ploughmen and officials, Mr Blair has been encouraged by the response £f ploughing associations ' who are starting to forward contributions to fhe contest funds. The executive of the New Zealand Ploughing Association has suggested that affiliated associations outside tfie area where the contest is being held might also help by contributing up to $5OO each. This money is being raised in a variety of ways. Some are making money for ’the purpose through member's cdrtini hay, others are reported to have been doing an exercise involving grazing . sheep, and sporting contests like golf matches have also been a method of raising money. Some are contributing ” part of the money this year and part next year. A raffle held last year gave a good start to the fund raising effort. The co-sponsors of national ploughing in New Zealand along with the Atlantic Union Oil Company, who have been associated with it since its inception more than 20 years ago, are also now Firestone, C. B. Norwood, International Harvester, Ford, Andrews and Beaven and the London Wool

Brokers and the contest organisers are looking to them «■' for. support again next year. Atlantic, for instance. will be sponsoring the ploughmen’s festival held after the world contest and Firestone the farewell for overseas visitors. The publicity committee under Mr A. R. Johnston, of Rakaia, has been developing a distinctive crest for use in conjunction

with publicity material and a brochure about the contest for use particularly overseas. The Hinds Young Farmers’ Club will be mounting a promotion for next year’s contest at the national field days near Hamilton next month, which is one of the major farming occasions of the year, and as the contest draws closer the promotional effort will accelerate.