Plough spectacle

FOCUS: Competition ploughing at its finest will be showcased at this year's Takapau Ploughing Club annual match. PHOTO/RACHEL WISE

The Takapau Ploughing Club will hold its annual match including qualifying events for the New Zealand Silver Plough Final and the Vintage Ploughing Class on Saturday October 1.

There will also be four Clydesdale horse teams ploughing the heavy horse competition,with a six-horse team pulling a three-furrow plough.

This will be operated by Steve Muggeridge from the Southern Wairarapa.

Four are entered in the silver plough qualifying event, with two of these Hawke's Bay competitors Ross Hunt of Hatuma and Bruce McCormick from Bay View.

There will be seven vintage class ploughmen, including Ian MacSporran, formally from Takapau and Mick Saunders from Meeanee.

Last year's vintage winner at Takapau, Paul Houghton from Carterton, went on to win the NZ vintage class at Oamaru and this month ploughed in a special invitation first world vintage competition at York in England, following the English and world ploughing final.

This was attended by Ian and Helen MacSporran who helped officiate during the competitions.

Ploughing will be held at Speedy Road on the Majella farm property owned by Chris and Debbie Minehan and family.

Matches will commence at 10am and conclude by 2.30pm.

The six-horse team will be a highlight and of great interest to many of the older farming community as it would be before the 1950s since a horse team like this has featured at the annual match.

The Takapau Club also has the world president of the Ploughing Association, Colin Millar from Rotorua, attending the match.

The New Zealand Ploughing Association currently holds this position on the world body.
At the world competitions New Zealand competitors were Ian Wooley who placed 10th overall and Malcolm Taylor in reversible class, 17th overall.

The vintage ploughmen used borrowed tractors and ploughs and performed well, but were not placed in the top three.