European ploughmen take out top honours at world championships

Northern Southland ploughman Mark Dillon placed 14^th on 254.5 points in the conventional class at the 71^st World Ploughing Championships in Croatia last week. 

Twenty-seven ploughmen from 24 countries competed in the conventional class.

The winner was Metej Sinic, of Slovenia, on 339.5 points on a Torpedo tractor and Kverneland plough.

Bernhard Keferbock, of Austria, placed second on 339.0 points.

Nigel Vickers, of England, placed third on 337.5 points.

Waikato ploughman Malcolm Taylor finished 15^th in the reversible class in a field of 22 competitors from 22 countries.

Taylor finished on 289.0 points.

The winner of the reversible class was Mathieu Cormoreche, of France, on 395.5 points.

John Whelan, of the Republic of Ireland, placed second on 374.5 points and Kevin Albrecht, of the United States, placed third on 356.5 points. 

Both New Zealand team members competed on borrowed gear their tractors and ploughs went through a series of shipping delays.

Mr Dillon and Mr Taylor borrowed gear from competitors based in Wales and Ireland.