Ploughing time again

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 13

Ploughing time again

It is back to the time of the year when match ploughmen will be competing with each other to earn he right to plough in the ■.ationai championships. The first of the qualifying vents in the South Island or this year’s national championships is being teld today by the Marlwrough Ploughing Match Association and there will e a field of six for this vent.

This year the national hampionships are being eld at Outram near lunedin on the property >f Blair Brothers, with the faieri association acting is hosts, and they will be different from the traditional national championships in that two national finals will be held

over four days — from July 4 to 7. On the Wednesday and Thursday ploughmen will compete to represent their country in the world contest in Northern Ireland later in the year, and then on the Friday and Saturday they will be at work again to allow the judges to select another two men to plough in the world contest which will be held near Lincoln just over a year hence. With the double final this year New Zealand will come into line with other countries affiliated with the World Ploughing Organisation, which select their representatives for a w’orld contest about a year or more ahead of that event. In the past New Zealand’s representatives have been selected in June or July and have had to

plough in the world contest later the same year. The two finals this year have posed problems in selecting the finalists and associations holding qualifying events have been allowed some latitude in how they do this Some like the Marlborough association are going to hold two qualifying events, with one being held to select the ploughman to plough in the final to determine the men tp go to Northern Ireland, and the other event to pick the man to plough in the national contest to select the representatives for the world final in New Zealand next year. Marlborough plans to hold another qualifying event on May 19. Where an association elects to hold only one

qualifying event, and thia course is likely to be followed by most, if the winner at the time of entering has indicated that he is prepared to plough in both national finals he may do so, but if he specifies that he wants to compete in only one, then the runner-up or the next man down in order of placing will be selected to plough in the other final, if he has indicated that he is prepared to take part in

The rules for world ploughing events have now been changed so that a man may compete four times instead of three before he is prevented from taking part again, and this could result in some former national champions having the chance of making a come-back.