Northland field days run hot

With temperatures averaging a blistering 25^oC, and little cloud cover during the three days, it was very different from last year when a ‘weather bomb’ caused an early close on the Saturday afternoon.

Visitors streamed in from 9am to 4pm every day. Over 25,000 people attended the event in total – 1000 more than the last record attendance in 2012.

Many of Saturdays’ 11,000 visitors tried to beat the heat with More FM’s Megasplash. There was plenty more to see and do – helicopter rides, the tractor pull, lawnmower races, dog trials, logger sports and quad skills.

The tractor pull celebrated its 21st birthday in style with entrants coming from near and far, according to event organiser John Phillips. “One driver came up from Hamilton to take part in the event and there were a lot of locals interested.”

The ANZ and More FM won the bank and business house competitions on Thursday. Shane Phillips won the main competition on the Thursdsay and Mark Phillips won the hotly-contended 21st birthday champion’s 3-legged race on the Saturday.

Karl Bow was named the logger of the day in the Northland Loggersports event after getting placings in the stock saw and woodsplit events. The Montana team won the team event, relegating last year’s winners Paniora Logging to second and third place.

Alan Van Hartigen won the open quad skills competition with Megan Browning taking the ladies’ competiton.

Prizes and giveaways at the event included a motorbike at the Vodafone stand, 200L drum of teat treatment from Donaghys and a 600kg bag of fertiliser from Viafos. 

Northland Field Days organisers and exhibitors also gave away thousands each day as gate prizes. Joe Danher from Tamaterau won the Thursday gate prize of $4800, Chris Longville from Warkworth $2800 on Thursday and Sarah Bird from Dargaville $1600.

While organisers, exhibitors and tractor pull contestants were celebrating the event’s 21st birthday on Saturday night, Northland Field Days president Lew Duggan says plans will begin immediately for the 2014 event, from Thursday February 30 – Saturday March 1 to work in with regional field days in Gore and Fielding.

“The 2014 field days will be bigger and better than this year’s event,” says Duggan. “The committee is working on some exciting changes.”