Kiwis at world ploughing champs

New Zealand competitor Bob Mehrtens of Timaru at the World Ploughing Contest.

The State of Minnesota and Lake of the Woods area in the US recently hosted this year's World Ploughing Contest.

The contest was held on August 30-31 on the Arnesen family farm two miles south of the town of Baudette.

The international competition brought together the world's best ploughers from over 30 countries, with each having to win their respective countries' contest to qualify for this worldwide contest.

The New Zealand team said the ploughing was a challenge, including the soil, a mixture of sand and loam and unevenness of the ground.

There was no room for the slightest error as it showed up.

The locals provided everything needed, including a specially built shed to store the tractors and ploughs.

The team said the large scale of everything 404ha paddocks, no fences, straight two-lane roads — made it an exceptional place to visit.

Winners:

Conventional: 1st Andrew Mitchell Snr Scotland; 2nd Eamonn Tracy Republic of Ireland; 3rd Gene Gruber USA. Ian Woolly of Blenheim, NZ, was 12th in Stubble, 7th in Grass and 10th overall.

Reversible: 1st Marco Angst Switzerland; 2nd John Whelan Republic of Ireland; 3rd Saren Korsgaard Denmark. Bob Mehrtens of Timaru, NZ, was 13th Stubble, 6th Grass and 10th overall.

The Takapau Ploughing Match is on October 5 and ploughmen and women will be competing to qualify for the New Zealand Championships to be held in Takapau on April 4 and 5, 2020. Winners of this will travel to Ireland to compete in the world competition.