Ploughing is in the blood for the Carter family - Miss Carter's father, Gordon Carter, of Raikaia, still competes, too.
He has also qualified for the championships, and will be competing in the vintage class this weekend.
''It's quite nice that we both plough. He's a natural ploughman,'' Miss Carter said.
Out of 10 finals, Miss Carter's top effort to date had been a seventh, which she was happy with.
''I've spent a bit of time practising. It's one of those sports [where] you have to put in the time to do well. It's also a lot of luck, no matter what plot you get allocated.''
Her job as an internal appraiser for Rabobank means she travels a lot for work, but she managed to sneak in one last ploughing match in Palmerston on Sunday before this week's national championships.
While Miss Carter spends her winters ploughing, she trades tractor for horse in summer, competing at A&P shows throughout the South.
The camaraderie of the sport kept her involved, along with the support competitors offered one another, she said.
''I've grown up with a lot of them.''
North Island woman Angela Taylor will also be competing at the ploughing champs, in the Silver Plough class.
The New Zealand Ploughing Championships are being held in Thornbury-Waimatuku Rd this Saturday and Sunday. Entry is $10 for adults, while under 16-year-olds are free.
