A Middlemarch grazing block posed a big challenge for contestants at a regional ploughing competition on Sunday.
A qualifying competition on a block in Moonlight Rd revealed who would represent Otago and Southland in the vintage and horse classes at the New Zealand Ploughing Championships in Palmerston North, in April next year.
Competition organiser Sean Leslie said 19 competitors ploughed in the championship classes.
The competitors set to represent the South in the vintage class are Alistair Rutherford, of Gore, and Murray Grainger, of Mosgiel.
The horse class representatives are John Chynoweth and Sharon Chambers, both of Kakanui, and Mr Leslie and Kaye Walker, both of Middlemarch.
Mr Leslie said the competitors enjoyed ploughing the grass block in Middlemarch because it was more challenging than working on a block which had been ploughed before.
''A grass block shows every mistake - big time. It makes a big mess if you get it wrong,'' Mr Leslie said.
Ploughman Jacob Carter (11), of Middlemarch, was competing in the vintage class with a McCormick International tractor and a Fowler plough.
Jacob said he enjoyed working with the land and learning from the experienced ploughman.
''The old fullas give me a few tips.''
Tom Fowler, of Tuatapere, assisted Jacob at the competition.
Mr Fowler said the Fowler plough Jacob used was made by his father's uncle, John Fowler, in Mosgiel between 1870 and 1900.
''That's beautiful, just beautiful,'' Mr Fowler said, looking at a line of neatly ploughed land.
