Taihape shows its strengths

THERE were strong showings all round at Saturday's Taihape A and P Show.
From Mitre 10 Megaman Levi Vaoga's muscles to the hot sun and contingents of shearers, home industries and trade exhibits, the entertainment came on strong.
Organiser Geoff Duff said the day had been a success with big increases in the number of entries for the shearing and home industries, as well as a greater number of trade stalls.
"It's been a great day, and I'm really pleased with the turnout of trade exhibits."
Mr Duff said the fact trade exhibitors had come back and increased in number on last year indicated that the show's continued success.
He said the wood chopping had attracted a good crowd as had Vaoga. who impressed by pulling a bus laden with show-goers. "We had good numbers of competitors in the horses too."
A fierce sun saw plenty of hats and lashings of sunscreen as locals and visitors enjoyed the attractions.
The Harbour City Strollers were back again this year providing a soundtrack of sweet trad jazz sounds to the day's festivities.
There were a number of new attractions including cat and dog shows and a strong men and women competitions compeered by Vaoga.
Others included airbrushed temporary tattoos, a Highland Cattle exhibit, farm and industry displays of chainsaws, farm bikes and more, plus a Guess the Weight auction.
Travelling blacksmith James Corington and his wife Debra had set up their Village Blacksmith house-bus forge by the sheep pavilion. Mr Corington worked at his authentic coal-fired forge, beating and shaping red hot iron with a hammer as show-goers perused his wares.
A favourite was his custom made "spandles", a cupboard or draw handle made from a shaped double-ended spanner.
The Coringtons said they and their two children had been at the Organic River Festival in Levin the previous weekend and were on their way to jousting tournament in Taupo next week.
"We were just passing through and then we realised we could do the Taihape show too," Mr Corington said.
The home industries pavilion in the Utiku Old Boys' Rugby Club building was bursting at the seams with a large number of competition entries.
G Kenemor's exquisite white rose earned a well-deserved first place in the One Rose category of the Floral Art competition and there were some bountiful baskets of vegetables on display for the Home Produce category.
As well as the entries, there were plenty of home crafts for sale. From earrings to colourful wheat packs to home-baked goodies, show shoppers were spoilt for choice.
Mahon's Amusements provided a satisfying variety of sideshows for the young and young at heart.
A retired Taihape couple (too shy to be named) told the Chronicle they had been frequenting the show for more than 20 years.
"It's a very good show," they said.
And the main attraction for them?
"The hot dogs. The man here made the hot dogs at Ohingaiti (the Ohingaiti Sports Day the previous weekend) and they were wonderful," they said.
Strength contests run by the Megaman drew the crowds and some keen lads and lasses ready to test their strength.
The women entrants had to flip a truck tyre three times.
The winner was Danni Hay-Bristol, who completed the task in a speedy 6.04 seconds.
Jason Peed took a break from work at the Honda exhibit to win the men's competition. He barreled to victory carry two very heavy weights over a 20-metre run.
Peed's 9.38 second time beat runner-up Mike Webb's 11.72.
Next door, Hunterville's Wayne Tasker and Graham Rasmussen from Otaki put on an impressive show in the exhibition jigger race.
Competitors have to cut in jigger boards, which they use to climb up to the top of a tree trunk where they chop right through a smaller log to finish.
Commentator Rod McKenzie kept spectators informed as the cutting progressed. He explained that the jigger had its orgins in America where lumberjacks would work their way up tall trees by cutting in jigger boards.
They then cut through the tree at a height, dropping the top section to avoid damaging timber by felling the tree as a whole.
The technique was used on monster redwoods and, while not as frequently used in New Zealand, had been used to fell big rimu undamaged.
"Wood chopping is a heritage sport? and the jigger is the hardest in the axeman's arena. You need stamina and a lot of heart to get up there and stand on a board six inches wide," Mr McKenzie said.
He said it was important that the axemen got their cuts right so the jigger boards sat flat once placed, and not sloping.
"Like any sport, it's best done on a level playing field," he quipped.
The pair (both left-handed) sped up the first side of the tall dummy to make the first cut with Tasker quickly taking the lead.
Their boards were placed soundly and as Rasmussen completed his first cut, Tasker was making it back up his dummy and approaching the top for a second and final cut.
Tasker finished first and both men received a big round of applause from the crowd.