Big horses, ploughing contestants set to make earth move

The Takapau Ploughing Match on Saturday has attracted ploughmen and women from Waikato, Manawatu, Wairarapa and places between.

Entries are in and the equipment is sharp and shiny in preparation for the 110th Takapau Ploughing Match, to be held on Saturday, October 6.

Ploughmen and women will be travelling from Waikato, Manawatu and Wairarapa and places between to plough at the Takapau event, which has free entry for spectators and runs from 10.30am until 2pm at 250 Speedy Rd.

The season has already begun, with the first match in Reporoa on September 29, allowing the competitors to eye up their rivals, sharpen their skills and get the bit between their teeth for the Takapau match.

There will be horse teams competing too.

It's always a thrill for the crowd when the heavy horses flex their muscle and add the creak and jingle of harness to the chug and grumble of the tractors.

All the organisers need now is good weather.

The 2020 NZ championships are also heading to Takapau, to be held on April 4 and 5, so ploughmen want to get accustomed to the heavy loam soils of the district, which organisers say is great ploughing.

On September 1 and 2, Ian Woolly from Blenheim and Bob Mehrtens from Timaru competed at the World Championships in Germany against 54 ploughmen (two were women) from 29 countries.

Ian Woolly achieved third in Conventional and Bob Mehrtens eighth in Reversible, which was an outstanding achievement by the New Zealanders against the world's best ploughmen.

They practise for a week before the championships to test and adjust themselves and their ploughs to the conditions, which were quite hard although a bit a rain the night before helped.

The German event was progressive and well organised and the property - 300ha at Stuttgart - was ideal.

There were 8000-10,000 visitors to the international event each day.

At Takapau, the plough maestros compete to win locally, then go on to the NZ championships, the winners of which travel overseas the following year.

Takapau Ploughing Match
• 10.30am-2pm, Saturday, October 6, 250 Speedy Rd, Takapau. Free entry.