NZ Ploughing Team to Use Borrowed Gear After Shipping Mix-Up
The New Zealand ploughing team to the world championship in Croatia next month will be banking on borrowed equipment as they seek glory.
1. Sean Leslie and Casey Tilson won the Rural News Horse Plough award at the Power Farming NZ Ploughing Championships at Horotiu on April 13-14.
Sean Leslie and Casey Tilson from Middlemarch, with horses Beau and Dough, took out the Rural News Horse Plough award at the Power Farming NZ Ploughing Championships at Horotiu, near Hamilton, on April 13-14.
Early on during the event, the team seemed to be a favourite to win, although at the time, Sean told Rural News, "There's still a lot of dirt to tip over yet".
He says finding horses with the right temperament for competition ploughing isn't easy. While Beau and Dough have not been doing it for long, they've proved they have the right stuff.
The rain showers softened up the ground at the Power Farming NZ Ploughing Championships, hosted by the Waikato Ploughing Club, but didn't deter competitors or spectators.
Among the competitors was Tryphena Carter from Southland - an experienced hand in the Fern Energy Silver Plough Conventional class.
She’s been in the sport for a few years now and was one of many competitors who came up from the South Island, where the sport of ploughing is strong.
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Thomas Sime from Outram competing at the Power Farming NZ Ploughing Championships, in the Holmes Solutions Contemporary class. He took a couple of trophies home. |
Competitive ploughing needs more young folk coming through the ranks, so it was also great to see Thomas Sime from Outram not only competing, but also taking home some of the silverware - the 2nd year in a row he has done so.
Other results: First place in the Fern Energy Silver Plough Conventional – Mark Dillon; first in the Pioneer Reversible – Bob Mehrtens. These two will represent New Zealand at the 70th World Ploughing Contest in the Czech Republic in 2025.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.

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