Queenstown has lost the New Zealand Rural Games to Palmerston North.
Founder Steve Hollander said the next two editions of the annual event would be held in the Manawatu region.
Moving locations was always part of the plan, the North Auckland farmer said.
He said the Manawatu was ‘‘compelling in what it could offer'' with its strong connections to the farming sector.
The games feature many national and transtasman sporting events, such as speed shearing, gumboot throwing and speed tree climbing.
About 6000 people attended the games in Queenstown over Waitangi weekend and 8000 turned out for the ‘‘running of the wools'', in which 400 merinos trotted through the town centre.
A running of the wools would be held in Feilding as part of the games next March, but Mr Hollander said he hoped to keep it going in Queenstown, as well.
Although Queenstown had been a ‘‘stunning location'' for the games for the past two years, lack of support from southern funding bodies was one of the deciding factors in moving north.
The trust received $20,000 from the Queenstown Lakes District Council and $10,000 from the Central Lakes Trust, while half a dozen other applications to southern and national funding bodies were unsuccessful.
‘‘You can't do much worse. We're hoping we'll get greater funding.''
Palmerston North and Feilding would put money into the event, and he was confident the new location would attract thousands more spectators.
Many people in Wakatipu and wider Otago region had gone to great lengths to support the games, Mr Hollander said.
Discussions had begun about holding the games on alternative islands each year.
-by Mandy Cooper
