Show seeks to draw tractor enthusiasts

Edendale Vintage Machinery Club president Robert Leggett, of Wyndham, is encouraging tractor...
Edendale Vintage Machinery Club president Robert Leggett, of Wyndham, is encouraging tractor enthusiasts to think about entering them in the Edendale Crank Up Day, in January, to celebrate 110 years of the tractor's arrival in New Zealand. He owns a Massey Harris 101 and a Massey Ferguson 135. Photo supplied.
The Edendale Vintage Machinery Club will celebrate 110 years since the tractor's arrival in New Zealand during next year's annual Crank Up weekend at Edendale.

Held on January 25 and 26, 2014, at the Edendale recreation grounds, the event will be the 27th the club has hosted.

It includes a parade through Edendale from 7pm on the Friday night before.

Club president Robert Leggett said he hoped as many makes and models of tractors as possible, both old and modern, would be represented.

In addition to marking the arrival of the tractor in this country, they also intended to celebrate the Ivel, a three-wheeled petrol-driven vehicle designed by Dan Albone, of Bedfordshire, in 1902.

''It was the first tractor to arrive in Southland,'' Mr Leggett said.

In addition to the vehicle displays, there will be food and craft stalls, club displays, and steam engines as well as tracked vehicles, stationary machines, military displays, parades, a chaff cutter and threshing machine and the New Zealand tractor pull sledge.

''We will also have vintage cars and we will celebrate 100 years of the Dodge.''

Crank Up convener Neil Irwin said they also intended to mark 100 years of the Morris.

He said at this stage they had no idea of how many people and vehicles would participate as there was no prebooking and entrants and their vehicles arrived on the day.

''We also have a different layout [of the grounds] planned,'' Mr Irwin said.

Special guests for the event include Levi Vaoga, Mitre 10 Mega ambassador, and Bill Hohepa, who hosts the Toll New Zealand Talking Trucks programme.

The club is holding a team competition for stooking oats and threshing through a mill.

''Other vintage clubs have been approached to put in a team if they wish,'' Mr Leggett said.

He encouraged people who wished to enter to start thinking about preparing their vehicles.

Add a Comment