Big event on the calendar for small rural town

Otago Daily Times

13-05-2025

Riversdale will host the 2029 World Ploughing Championship. Southern ploughmen Mark Dillon (left) and Scott McKenzie talk to Shawn McAvinue about why Southland was selected to host the event for the first time, what it will mean for the region and why they offered to organise it.
For the first time, Southland will host the World Ploughing Championship.
Thousands of people are expected to descend on the small rural town of Riversdale for the 74th world event in autumn 2029 .
New Zealand Ploughing Association chairman Scott McKenzie, of Clinton, said other parts of the country bid to host the event, but Riversdale won because it could guarantee land, owned by association member Mark Dillon, and that was a huge advantage.
The competition would run over two days in either March or April when the weather was usually more settled.
A date would be selected which did not clash with any other major rural events to give it the best chance of attracting a big crowd, and organisers were hoping to attract "thousands".
Previous hosts included Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and and Zimbabwe.
Competitors would compete in either the conventional or reversible classes, working grass one day and stubble the next.
The committee would offer competitors and their supporters a package of up to 10 days, including practice days on the competition grounds and a tour of the South.
"It's pretty exciting and it's good to showcase our own bit of homeland," Mr McKenzie said.
Some teams would arrive up to a month before the competition to prepare for the event and learn the lay of the land.
International competitors would practise on private land, as soil types were diverse around the world, to increase their chances by reducing any home ground advantage.
"You get to know what it [the soil] does in your home patch — it's quite different and it is an advantage," he said.
He was calling for expressions of interest from individuals or groups keen to help organise the event.
"It will be a fairly substantial event and there could be up to 30-odd countries come, so there'll be a bit of logistics involved and quite a lot of accommodation."
Up to 400 officials would take part and he estimated the event would require about 8000 bed nights.
New Zealand had hosted the event four times before; Lincoln in 1967 and 1980, Outram in 1994 and Methven in 2010.
Mr McKenzie represented New Zealand in Slovenia in 2009 and Sweden in 2011 and he was booked to compete in Russia in 2020 but the event was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Competitors wanting to qualify for the New Zealand team in 2029 would need to win either reversible or conventional class at the 2028 national competition. At this stage, Mr McKenzie doubted he would try for the 2029 New Zealand team.
"Probably not. That'll be a job for Mark."
Mr Dillon was pleased Riversdale won the hosting rights and was confident Southland could pull off the event.
"I was a bit excited but also like holy s... , we've got it. There's a bit of work to do."
"The most important thing, we've got the ground secured."
He was not being paid for the use of his land.
"We do it for love — a passion for the sport."
He hoped between 20,000 and 30,000 people would attend the event, which would have a "country fair" feel.
He was now making cropping decisions so his grounds would be ready for the world competition.
Grass would be planted from January next year so pasture was available to plough and a crop, possibly winter barley, would be planted so it could be harvested and cleared in time so stubble was available.
Mr Dillon represented New Zealand in France in 2014 and Estonia in 2024 and was booked to compete in the conventional class in Prague in September this year and Croatia next year.
He hoped to qualify for the team to compete at the world championships in Riversdale.
No prize money was on offer at a world championship, just a chance to get your name engraved on the Golden Plough trophy, Mr Dillon said.
"It's just for the prestige, so you can say you're the best in the world."
[e-mail]