Latest news with #WorldPloughingChampionship
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Maserati, Porsche and Peugeot lead the pack as Wicklow vintage car show goes off with a bang
There was a truly unique selection of motors on display in St Patrick's Church, including a very original 1920s Bentley, a rare 1950s Maserati and a magnificent 1980s Ferrari, as well as a rank of unique Ford vehicles, spanning the decades, showing how the marque has evolved over the years. All were hoping to impress the special guest judge for the show, expert dealer and social media influencer, Nadia Adan from Ashford Motors. Remarking on the turnout, organisers Andrew and Philippa Bailey said: 'We are delighted with the huge amount of support for the show, both from those exhibiting cars and those attending as visitors. It was an event run by the community for the community and was a fantastic example of everyone coming together to create something special. "The atmosphere was really uplifting, with the Stedfast Band providing wonderful music, children playing games, the parish refreshment tent being a central focus for socialising and the golden ticket raffle for rides in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang causing great excitement. It was also an honour to have the winning Deutz tractor from the 1964 World Ploughing Championship on display too,' they continued. "We had a remarkable array of cars on show, many from private collections, but there could only be three winners. The public voted an exceptional 1956 Maserati 150S as their car of choice, the entrants voted for a 1933 Peugeot 301CR and Nadia Adan of Ashford Motors, who was the celebrity judge, chose a 1973 Porsche 911 E as her favourite. 'We would like to thank everyone who travelled to come to the show, all the amazing volunteers and also our sponsors: Ashford Motors, Auto Care, AXA, Glen Fuels, Goggin Insurances, King Tree Services, Panda, Pension & Financial and Powerscourt Estate,' they concluded.
Otago Daily Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Small town wins big hosting bid
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. 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. "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. "You get to know what it [the soil] does in your home patch — it's quite different and it is an advantage," Mr McKenzie said. He was calling for expressions of interest from individuals or groups keen to help organise. "It will be a fairly substantial event and there could be up to 30-odd countries [represented], 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 was booked to compete in Russia in 2020 before 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 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. He was now making cropping decisions so his grounds would be ready for the competition. Grass would be planted from January next year. Mr Dillon represented New Zealand in France in 2014 and Estonia last year, 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 the 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."
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Big event on the calendar for small rural town
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."
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Southland to host World Ploughing Champs
Forming an organising committee to run the 2029 World Ploughing Championship on the Dillons' property in Riversdale are New Zealand Ploughing Association member and landowner Mark Dillon, of Riversdale (left) and chairman Scott McKenzie, of Clinton. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE 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". 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 lie 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. 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.
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to lead the charge at Wicklow vintage car show
A truly unique selection of vehicles will be on display, including a very original 1920s Bentley, a rare 1950s Maserati and a magnificent 1980s Ferrari. There will also be a special display of Ford vehicles, spanning the decades, showing how the marque has evolved over the years. The event takes place on Sunday, May 25, in the grounds of St Patrick's Church, Powerscourt, Enniskerry and the celebrity judge on the day is well-known local motor dealer and social media influencer, Nadia Adan, from Ashford Motors. She will have the tough job ahead of her as she casts her professional eye over the cars, picking out her favourite from the impressive line-up on show. The public will also have their say, as they get to vote for their choice too. Another exciting development is that six lucky groups of people will have the chance to go for a spin in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. A Willy Wonka-style chocolate bar raffle will take place, with six golden tickets being hidden inside the bars, each entitling up to four people to go for a ride in the classic car. The Deutz tractor that won the World Ploughing Championship in 1964 will also be on display. Charlie Keegan was the first Irishman ever to win the competition, which took place in Austria, and when he returned to Dublin Airport a motorcade was needed to escort him back to Enniskerry whilst he proudly paraded the trophy. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the occasion, from car enthusiasts to families and friends and those looking for bargains from the various pop-up stands. There will be plenty of family fun, with children's games and social opportunities to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Refreshments will be available in the catering village and from the various pop-up stands. Visitors will also be entertained by the fabulous Stedfast Band, who's varied repertoire is sure to appeal to all ages. The show will be open to the public from 11am-5pm and free parking for visitors will be available in the field at the entrance to Powerscourt Estate. Exhibiting vehicles must pre-register. To enquire phone 087 257 0893 or email powerscourtparishcarshow@
