;

Palmerston North Showcases Spectacular Weather for 9th Ford Ranger NZ Rural Games & new New Zealand record was set

A family walking through the Rural Games entrance.

The Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games celebrated its ninth year with splendid weather and an exceptional display of rural sportsmanship. Founder Steve Hollander expressed delight at the heightened level of competition across various events including timbersports, shearing, sheep dog trials, fencing, and highland heavies competitions.

Palmerston North’s Adam Miller set a new New Zealand Weight For Height record – 16 feet, 3 inches, superseding Pat Hellier’s 2000 record of 16 feet.

Hollander remarked, “The competition level reached new heights this year, attracting participants and spectators alike. The crowds were solid throughout the weekend, with Saturday seeing particularly high attendance, and Sunday numbers exceeding those of the previous year.”

Looking ahead, Hollander shared plans for the 10th Anniversary Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games in 2025, aiming to make it the most memorable edition yet. This year’s event introduced new features such as axe throwing and a relaxation zone catering to individuals with accessibility needs, young families, and retirees, with plans for further expansion in the future.

Margaret Kouvelis MNZM, outgoing Chair of the New Zealand Rural Games Trust, expressed her delight in witnessing athletes in action and engaging young participants in traditional activities like tree climbing, egg throwing, and haybale racing. She emphasised the event’s mission of getting kids active, supporting rural sports and helping to bring rural and urban families together.

The weekend extravaganza, watched by tens of thousands of spectators over three days, marked a significant celebration of rural sports in Palmerston North. Brendan Bourke, with over 20 years of event management experience and now General Manager of the Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust in Hastings, has assumed the role of Chair of the New Zealand Rural Games Trust, with Margaret Kouvelis remaining on the Board.

In addition to the thrilling competitions, the event awarded a lucky winner with a $5000 Winter Weekend in Queenstown. Congratulations to Myah Wood of Palmerston North. This competition, created by Palmy Bid, the NZ Rural Games Trust, and House of Travel on the Square, aimed to promote spending in the CBD leading up to the Games and was announced on More FM.

Mark your calendars for the TV3 1-hr Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games programme

presented by TV3 Sports Reporter Tia McDougall, Farm4Life’s Tangaroa Walker and the legendary Mark Leishman will run

5pm on Saturday March 30th

9:30am on Saturday April 6th

The New Zealand Gumboot Throwing Championships brought to you by Skellerup Red Bands


Women’s Winners

1st Place

Kristin Churchward from Taihape

29.38 meters

2nd Place

Nerisa Utailesolo

26.81 meters

3rd Place

Susan Holdt from Canterbury

24.40 meters

Women’s Winners

1st Place

Kieran Fowler of Dunedin

45.28 meters

2nd Place

Craig Manson of Ashburton

41.41 metres

3rd Place

Stuart McNie of Raetihi

38.40 metres

STIHL New Zealand Men’s Timbersports Championship


1st Place

Jack Jordan from Taumarunui

2nd Place

Shane Jordan from Stratford

3rd Place

Kyle Lemon from Rotorua

4th Place

Nathan McDonald from Waiuku

5th Place

Bobby Dowling from Adelaide

6th Place

Hayden Rasmussen from Otaki

7th Place

Chris Lord from Otorohanga

8th Place

Laurie Honey from Rotorua

9th Place

Neil Hateley from Westport

10th Place

Jesse Whitehead from Christchurch

STIHL New Zealand Rookies Timbersports Championship


1st Place

Cleveland Cherry from Tokoroa

2nd Place

Mathew Gower representing Whangamomona

3rd Place

Sam Bellamy hailing from Stratford

STIHL New Zealand Women’s Championship


1st Place

Anne Paterson from Australia

2nd Place

Raewyn Windley representing Rolleston

3rd Place

Alma Wallace representing Otaki

The Sam Strahan Sheep Dog Trials at the New Zealand Rural Games with PTS Logistics


1st Team

Anita Kendrick from Waikato, Vaida Bridget Henson from Wellington, Eve & Ted Jo McIntyre from Poverty Bay, and Guy & Tim Kate White from Manawatu/Whanganui

Score: 339

2nd Team

Gavin Martin, Sid & Turk Josh Brennan, Anna & Tadpole Neil Evans, and Tess & Smoke Paul Evans, all from Manawatu/Whanganui.

Score: 338

Best Run

Anita Kendrick

NZ Speed Tree Climbing Pairs Championship Cup with Husqvarna and Guardian Tree Services


1st Place

Steph Dryfhout & Noel Galloway from Waikato/BOP

103.12 points

2nd Place

Sam Smith & Brie Uivel from Auckland

95.93 points

3rd Place

Samantha Fraser & Callum Toms from Wellington

64.15 points

Top Ascent Times

Sam Smith

13.35

Brie Uivel

17.16

Dom Ritter

18.40

Top Work Climb Points

Noel Galloway

70.67

Steph Dryfhout

66.33

Dom Ritter

64.18

The Sir Eion Edgar Southern Hemisphere Highlander Champion with Deutz-Fahr New Zealand


1st Place

Adam Miller

Palmerston North

2nd Place

Jono MacFarlane

Pohangina

3rd Place

Jarna Mihaere

Danneverke

Best Run

Craig Manson

Asburton

Adam Miller from Palmerston North comfortably cleared 16 feet and 3 inches, before hitting the bar three times at a whopping 17 feet. Not content with that, Adam also eclipsed his own Rural Games record in the 28lb Weight for Distance. It wasn’t all plain sailing however, as former champions Jono Macfarlane and Jarna Mihaere pushed him hard, Jono finishing level on overall points but Adam taking the victory due to most individual event wins.

The Golden Loader Forestry Championship, presented by Forest Industry Contractors Association with the Southern North Island Wood Council, John Turkington Ltd, McCarthy’s Transport, Foxpine Haulage, Tigercat Pts Logistics, and AB Equipment


1st Place

Travis Young

Newton Harvesting, Urenui

2nd Place

James MacFarlane

Bat Forest Harvesting, Hastings

3rd Place

Max Gibson

Mangoihe Logging Company, Marton

4th Place

Colin Bush

ATS Logging, Napier

5th Place

Kelvin Bouskill

Havendale Logging, Masterton

The Tony Chapman NZ Speed Shearing Championship in association with Entain


Remaining competitors placed

1st Place

Jack Fagan

Te Kuiti

2nd Place

Jimmy Samuels

Marton

3rd Place

Paerata Abraham

Masterton

4th Place

Leon Samuels

5th Place

Hemi Braddick

6th Place

Chris Dickson

7th Place

Brett Roberts

8th Place

Digger Balme

9th Place

Lionel Taumata

10th Place

David Gordon

The Future Post NZ Speed Fencing Championship with NZ Fencing Competitions, Stockade & Fencepro


NZ Speed Fencing Championship Trophy

Tim Garrick

Poverty Bay

Shane Bouskill

Hawkes Bay

Tony Bouskill

Hawkes Bay

Battening Challenge Winners

1st Place

Bradley Fountain

Manawatū/Whanganui

2nd Place

Burne Maxted

Manawatū/Whanganui

3rd Place

Bernard Condon

Representing Hawkes Bay

New Zealand Egg Throw & Catchup Championship with Steve Hollander


1st Place

Perry Mavor & Jacob Smith

Palmerston North

60m

2nd Place

Alec Chapman & Nate Caldwell

Omarama

50m

3rd Place

Ryan Theunissen & Jeremy Murdoch

Auckland & Christchurch

40m

3rd Equal Place

Isaac Murray & Jayden Thessman

Palmerston North

40m

New Zealand Coal Shovelling Championships with McIntosh Farm Machinery & Bathurst


Teams

1st Place

Choppers

10.36

2nd Place

Tossers

11.17m

3rd Place

Cross Fit Manawatū

15.37

4th Place

Turbos, Boys Manawatū Rugby

16.49

Men’s Doubles

Curly Troon

Taihape

10.36

Richard Banks Senior

Reefton

17.37m

Women’s Doubles

Kate Hopkins & Johanna Hopkins

Palmerston North

54.93

Katelyn Anderson & Ffion Barr

Palmerston North

1hr 37m

Men’s Singles

Lachlan Fee

29.62

Tangaroa Walker

31.33m

The North Island Secondary School Shearing Championship


1st Team

Feilding High School

2nd Team

Palmerston North Boys’ High School

Best Individual Quality Shearer

Lachie Cameron

Feilding High School

Best Wool Handler

Brenna Ratima

Feilding High School

Bill Tapley Cowpat Throw with Speights and Federated Farmers


1st Place

Lorenzo Fanolo

31.2m

2nd Place

Hardus van Niekerk

30.2m

3rd Place

Hayato Abe

29.9m

Courtesy Ford Haystacking


Flo

Whanganui

16.83m

James

Whanganui

23.66m

Connor

Palmerston North

23.85m

Man & Mutt Race with Skellerup


1st Place

Chris Denholm with Neeve

2nd Place

Alice Jepson with Lass

3rd Place

James Denholm with Monte

Wool Fadge Race


Winners

Massey Young Farmers

Egg Roulette with Cocky


Adults 1st

Tracey Stratford

Kids 1st

Argn

Palmerston North

Agri Futures Clash of the Colleges


240 students from ten schools from New Plymouth to Taupo to Flaxmere and down to Wairarapa and everywhere in between took part.

Seniors

1st Place

Rathkeale College’s ​Jacob Clark, Sheldon Brown, Taine Jones & Sam Goodman

2nd Team

Rathkeale College’s ​Ricki Reynolds, Tom Hepburn, Jasper Bunny & Freddy Tatham

3rd Place

Palmerston North Boys’ High’s Lane Colburn, Jayden Derbridge, Todd Leary and Sam Richmond

Juniors

1st Place

Rathkeale College’s Lachie Bassett, Digby Tatham, Harvey Williams and Louis Handyside

2nd Team

Feilding High School’s Emily McGuinn, Angus Livingston, Daniel Volkering, Lucy Easton

3rd Place

Feilding High School’s Hunter Wigglesworth, Alex Wrenn and Mac Foreman

The Gumboot Throwing Team from Francis Douglas showcased exceptional ability and won the championship. Additionally, Liam Green stood out with an impressive individual throw of 34 meters, earning him the title of the best individual thrower.

The Rural Games Golf Challenge in support of the Manawatu Rangitikei Rural Family Support Trust


1st Team – RaboBank

James Holden, Shane Richardson, Darren Jones, Alistair Williamson

61.50

2nd Team – NZME

Kieran Curley, Ben Pratt, Tim Adam, Callum Soulter

3rd Team – Hughes & Baker

Seb Baker, Anton Hughes, Regan McConaghy, Greg Shaw

Nearest To Pin On 8

Laura Morrison

Nearest To Pin on 11

Andy Sinclair
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Share

Palmerston North Showcases Spectacular Weather for 9th Ford Ranger NZ Rural Games & new New Zealand record was set

Subscribe to our Newsetter