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Warwick Smith/Stuff
Post hole digging is one the components of the speed fencing championship at the New Zealand Rural Games at Te Marae o Hine-The Square in Palmerston North at the weekend.
The New Zealand Rural Games has triumphantly returned to Palmerston North after a year off due to Covid-19 with its biggest year yet, attracting 45,000 people.
The three-day event at Te Marae o Hine-The Square was packed with thrilling competitions in various rural sports, such as wood chopping, coal shovelling, sheep shearing, gumboot throwing, and egg throw and catch.
Games founder Steve Hollander said the quality of sportspeople was world-class.
“It was a fantastic weekend for rural sports and in terms of attendance, Saturday was our busiest day yet.”
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One standout performer was Jarna Mihare from Dannevirke, who set a new games record in the stones category of the Southern Hemisphere Highlander Championship.
Mihare’s incredible time of 25.43 seconds smashed the previous record by over 15 seconds.
Palmerston North’s Adam Miller was the Highlander Heavy champion.
In other events, Central Hawke’s Bay’s Tony Bouskill won the speed fencing championship, pipping his son Tony at the post and ending his competition winning streak, which lasted over a year.
Marton’s Jimmy Samuels won the men’s speed shearing championship, while Gore’s Sacha Bond won her first battle against Megan Whitehead.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
The New Zealand Rural Games brought shearing to the centre of Palmerston North.
Whanganui’s Daniel Purcell won the inaugural Golden Loader forestry championship.
Taumarunui’s Jack Jordan won the men’s timbersports championship, the morning after being named the New Zealand Rural Sports Awards supreme winner.
Queensland’s Anne Paterson won the women’s timbersports event, with Tokoroa’s Cleveland Cherry winning the rookie championship.
Ashburton’s Craig Manson is the New Zealand men’s gumboot throwing champion, while Taihape’s Kristin Churchward is the women’s champion.
Team Waikato, Noel Galloway and Steph Dryfhout, won the New Zealand speed tree climbing championship.
Reefton’s Richard Banks Senior won the men’s New Zealand coal shovelling championship.
The first team was Manawatū’s Choppers (Norm Cherry, Shane Campbell, Ali Collis and Daniel Blenkiron).
Banks and Curly Troon (Taihape) won the men’s doubles, while the women’s doubles was won by Dell Adams (Taihape) and Leah Savage.
The weekend also featured the Clash of the Colleges competition, which featured 240 students from 10 lower North Island high schools.
The senior winner was Napier Boys’ High School, with Rathkeale College second and Feilding High School third. Feilding High School won the junior grade.
Queen Elizabeth College and Paraparaumu College received a spot prize for communication and teamwork.
TOM LEE/STUFF
Watch Mark Grainger shears a sheep in 52 seconds at the New Zealand Shearing Championships
The event also included the popular Agri Futures Pathways expo, which showcased the range of opportunities available to young people in the future food and fibre sector and what the Mid Central North Island has to offer.
The North Island secondary school shearing championship was won by Feilding High School, with Napier Boys’ High School second and Palmerston North Boys’ High School third.
The Feilding pair of Lachie Cameron and Grace Carman were named the top individual quality shearer and best wool handler, respectively.
The team of Paul Evans (Whanganui), Gavin Drake (Hunterville), Josh Brennan (Rangiwahia), Bruce Parkinson (Raetihi) won the Sam Strahan Memorial Sheep Dog Trials Challenge.
The egg throw and catch was won by Johnny Southee and Tui Amosa with 55m.
The hay stacking was won by Robbie Hollander.
The cow pat throw was won by Ashley McGrechan with 27m.
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