Ploughing on: NZ team move to backup plan after shipping delays furrows brows

The New Zealand ploughing team are on their way to compete in southeastern Europe, leaving their tractors and ploughs behind. Mark Dillon, of Northern Southland and Malcolm Taylor, of Waikato, will compete at the 71st World Ploughing Championships in Osijek, Croatia, September 5-6. The team put their tractors and ploughs in a shipping container at Port Chalmers on May 20 so their kit would reach Croatia in plenty of time. Mr Dillon’s wife Sonia, who arranged the shipping, said a series of delays by shipping company MSC made it unlikely the container would arrive on time. “With the cost it really wasn’t worth the risk, when there was no chance of guaranteeing it being there,” Mrs Dillon said. Consequently, the container was lifted from the Port of Tauranga and their gear was trucked to their respective homes in late July. Mr Dillon was annoyed by the situation but said he was moving on. “We’ve just got to make the best of what we’ve got at the moment.” He was competing in the conventional class and Mr Taylor in the reversible class. The team was now borrowing gear from competitors based in Wales and Ireland, Mrs Dillon said. “They are great people. “New Zealand has been done a disservice by the shipping company and they’ve really stepped up to help. "It couldn’t be more appreciated.” Mr Dillon was borrowing a Massey Ferguson 362 tractor and a Kverneland plough in Wales to truck to Croatia. SUPPLIEDNorthern Southland ploughman Mark Dillon representing New Zealand in the conventional class at the 70th World Ploughing Contest in the Czech Republic last year. Photo: Supplied The tractor and plough were the same make and model of those he left behind in New Zealand. “He is happy to have very similar gear,” Mrs Dillon said. Although the borrowed kit was similar, there were modifications which made them slightly different. “It is the same backbone,” Mrs Dillon said. Mr Dillon said the tractor and plough was borrowed from the son of a competitor representing Wales at the competition. “It is awesome the amount of people reaching out and offering gear.” He would practise on the borrowed gear in Wales and Croatia for about eight days before the competition started. Mr Taylor was borrowing his gear from a competitor in Ireland. “There are lots and lots of moving parts but it is starting to come together,” Mrs Dillon said. SHAWN MCAVINUENew Zealand ploughing team member Mark Dillon, of Northern Southland, is borrowing gear to compete at the 71st World Ploughing Championship in Croatia next month. Photo: Shawn McAvinue The 2029 World Ploughing Championships was being held on the Dillon’s property in Riversdale. Competitors would need to consider how best to ship their tractors and ploughs to New Zealand, Mrs Dillon said. She was “gutted” the shipping logistics would be a talking point of the 2029 event. “I hope we can set up a good relationship with key people around the world to make sure they aren’t going to be part of a similar debacle and everything gets to us in good time so we can have it secured and ready for them when they get here.” Mr Dillon said tractors and ploughs would be available for competitors to borrow or hire in Southland so they could avoid shipping gear. Mrs Dillon thanked the sponsors for sticking with them and people in the primary industries looking for other ways to get their shipping container to Croatia on time. “Unfortunately they couldn’t help but it is awesome. "They looked under every stone to see if there is a solution.” Mr Dillon had represented New Zealand four times at world champs and borrowed gear once before in France. Both ploughmen would represent New Zealand at the world champs in Kenya next year. © Allied MediaNew Zealand ploughing team coach and World Ploughing Championship judge Ron Sheat, of Palmerston, is travelling to the championship with the team in Croatia. Photo: Gregor Richardson The Dillons flew out of Queenstown on Monday last week and met coach Ron Sheat, of Palmerston, in transit in Singapore. Mr Dillon said Mr Sheat, who was judging at the championships, was “a good man on the tools”. “He’s a bloody good bugger.” The shipping saga was “character building”, Mr Sheat said. “It is amazing how some people can let you down.” He had judged at a world champs once before — Estonia in 2024. Judges were in teams of three. A judge did not take part when they were scrutinising the 25 different aspects of a competitor’s plot from their own country. The work was a “huge task”. Mr Sheat would be coaching Mr Taylor, who was the team coach in the Czech Republic last year. As part of the coaching role, Mr Sheat would drive a tractor during practice sessions so the New Zealand competitors could walk behind and inspect the furrows. A coach and a judge needed to know what they were looking at to take on either role. “I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but you’ve got to have a bit of experience.” He had years of experience in roles at a regional, national and international level. He got involved in the sport because his father Noel, 87, of Palmerston, was involved including competing at four world championships. “It’s a family thing and the ploughing fraternity are family. "When we couldn’t get our gear to the world contest, they came out of the woodwork with gear for us to use, even though we are competing against each other.”

Ploughing on: NZ team move to backup plan after shipping delays furrows brows

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