Te Awamutu pupils pull together to defend Fieldays title

Winning tractor pulling style of the Te Awamutu Primary School team.

It took two attempts, but Te Awamutu Primary School has defended its Fieldays School Tractor Pull title, beating out Tauwhare School, Gordonton School and Te Kūiti Primary School at Fieldays on Saturday.

Fieldays School Tractor Pull saw a number of primary schools pull a full-sized tractor 40m in a race against the clock for a spot in the final.

Regional heats took place around the Waikato, with schools from Tamahere, Tauwhare, Goodwood, Horotiu, Te Kūiti, Maihiihi, Puketaha and Gordonton competing for the spots against 2017 champions Te Awamutu in the finals.

Te Awamutu Primary School principal Sharon Griffiths says the students trained hard for weeks leading up to the finals, pulling a borrowed tractor on the school grounds.

She says last year they won pulling a large tractor on the mud track. This year they were on grass with a much smaller tractor.

Te Awamutu went first and set a good time, but it was matched by Tauwhare.

A second pull between the two teams to find the winner was arranged — and this time the organisers brought out the big machine.

Te Awamutu's training and preparation paid off and they were fastest — taking home the the $2000 prize money.

Tauwhare School won $750, third place Gordonton School took $500 and Te Kūiti Primary earned $250 for fourth.

Te Awamutu Primary School's Tractor Pulling Team donated the prize money to the school's project to upgrade and seal their courts.

Sharon says the long term goal is astro turf courts and covers so the facilities can be utilised for a variety of purposes.