No.8 Wire: Queenstown games get fresh look

Shane Bowskill was paired with one of his students.

Tickets have gone on sale for the first New Zealand Rural Games, being held in Queenstown from February 6 to 8.

The games include events that the promoters describe as "exciting new formats for traditional rural sports". They include speed shearing, sheep dog trials, speed fencing, speed milking, coal shovelling, gold panning, and a transtasman wood-chopping event.

A national gumboot throwing championship, which organisers say is being relocated from Taihape, the acknowledged Gumboot Capital of the World, is also being held. Organisers say many rural sports associations will be hosting their national championships during the Waitangi Day weekend event.

Topping the programme will be concert performances, including by the Topp Twins and country-pop artist Jody Direen.

Charity calves

IHC and PGG Wrightson Livestock last week celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Calf and Rural Scheme, which has helped generate more than $28 million through the donation of 130,000 calves.

The milestone was marked at the Paeroa saleyards on October 24, when 118 calves were dispersed. The Calf and Rural Scheme partners thanked supporting farmers, who number about 5000.

Streets of London

A 7m combine harvester towed by a 1946 tractor will be an unusual feature of a parade through central London for this weekend's 687th Lord Mayor's Show.

It's being done to encourage the British public to back British farming. The high-tech machine is being transformed with what the National Farmers' Union says are "stunning" vinyl graphics depicting the "great" British countryside and demonstrating how food is produced.

The John Deere S685i combine will be driven from Mansion House to St Paul's Cathedral and on to The Strand before returning along the Embankment and Queen Victoria St back to Mansion House.

Fencers fight it out

Golden Pliers national farm fencing champion Shane Bouskill had to settle for second place in a new doubles competition at the Hawke's Bay Show last week. But it was a pleasing result as he was paired with a new competition partner, farm cadet Wilton Weeks, one of Bouskill's students at Smedley Cadet Training Farm in Central Hawke's Bay.

The event was won by Tim Stafford (Marton) and Matt Jones (Levin); third were Wayne Newdick (Taumarunui) and John Steadman (Whanganui); fourth were Mark Lambert (Bulls) and Jeff Joines (Raumati).

Bouskill had won the national Silver Spades doubles title in 2013 with regular team-mate and Hawke's Bay Fencing contractor Gordon Hansen, who with Jared Nicholson (Havelock North) claimed seventh place in a 10-team competition last week.

The event was run by New Zealand Fencing Competitions, which was formed last year to help build a strong future for the sport.

It was the first of four regional competitions scheduled for the North Island over summer.

The next is at Waverley on November 18, followed by Taumarunui on February 7, and a central district region contest in Feilding on March 13.

Cooper to depart

Silver Fern Farms' chief executive Keith Cooper is bowing out, saying it's time for change after eight years in the position.

The decision came as the company announced a vastly improved position this year, after some tough times during the previous two years.