Organiser John Osborne said the 22 men and one woman would be judged mostly on "tidiness": "The ploughing lines have to be straight and uniform, and the general appearance must be nice to look at."
Mr Osborne said ploughing was becoming a dying art and the competitions were a way to promote and encourage interest in the skill.
Ground conditions were very good for the event and there would be a good selection of conventional ploughing, reversible, vintage/classic and a team of horses competing, he said.
The winner will qualify for the annual New Zealand Ploughing Championships next year.