World ploughing under way

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 13

World ploughing under way

The 32nd World Plough Contest, at Fun, 13km south of Odense in Denmark, will be officially opened today by the Patron of the Contest, His Royal Highness Prince Henrik. The Danish Farm Youth, equivalent to the New Zealand Y.F.C. is organising the event in collaboration with the World Ploughing Organisation.

Approximately 10,000 spectators are expected to attend the event to watch the stubble ploughing today and the grassland ploughing tomorrow.

Fifty ploughmen from 2countries will be competing for the Golden Plough Trophy. Roger Jordan, a 30-year-old farmer from Blenheim, and Bruce Redmond a 26-year-old farmer from Methven (both members of the Y.F.C.), are the New Zealand representatives. In a telephone conversation early last Sunday morning, the New Zealand team manager, Mr Ken Taylor, told Mr John Rawlinson, the publicity officer for the N.Z. Ploughing Association, that Roger and Bruce arrrived in Denmark last week, one week ahead of the official practice time. During that period, time was spent getting used to their tractors and ploughs where some minor problems arose. Roger, who ploughs with a Fiskars plough, and

Bruce, with a Kverneland, had private practice ground arranged for them by these two firms.

Unfortunately for the team manager these practice areas were about 20km apart which necessitated much travelling and made tilings difficult for both him and the ploughmen. However, this and other prob-

lems were soon overcome and their practice has been going reasonably well. Even though the Denmark harvest was late due to the exceptionally wet season, the grond has been left dry. But according to Mr Taylor, the contest site appears to be good and could plough well and the New Zealand competitors are looking forward to the test.