12
The Sun
Friday May 1, 2015
farming Marlborough
Daniel Highman, Luke Highman, Jake Eising and Hayden Nicholls at the Ed McDonell (centre), the 2013 winner of a Hilux pictured with competition orgaisers Lisa and Matt Willis. 2013 competition. Daniel won third place in the Open Division. File photo File photo
Boar breaking news, the hunt is on By Celeste Lodewyk It’s official, New Zealand’s largest pig hunting competition is back for 2015. The annual Boar Slaying Super Comp, organised and run by Hooked On Boars Magazine owners Matt and Lisa Willis, is back with a whole new format and lineup of prizes. Traditionally an annual event, Matt and Lisa took last year off from holding the competition to focus on their businesses and Matt’s new television programme ‘Hooked on the Outdoors’ on Country TV.
Due to the amount of inquiries from all around the country, Matt and Lisa can reveal that the competition will be held on July 9, 10 and 11. What they won’t reveal just yet are the major spot prizes, new sponsors and new venue. “We are really excited about how things are looking, especially with a whole new venue that is bigger, more accessible for families and in Blenheim,” Lisa says. By changing the competition days to Thursday, Friday and Saturday, hunters travelling from out of the region will have Sunday to
Top prize for top farmer Renwick man Andrew Wiffen (pictured) has proven he has what it takes to be a great farmer, after winning second place in 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest. The Tasman Regional Final was held at the Kirwee Showgrounds in March where a knowledgeable crowd watched the strong group of eight contestants display the best of their farming knowledge and skill. The contestants were put through their paces in a variety of challenging modules, touching on all aspects of farming from practical, hands-on tasks to theory and business components. The 27 year-old-sheep and beef farmer, Andrew of the Renwick Young Farmers Club, took home $2,900 worth of prizes. He also took out top prize in the AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge. The Grand Final will be held in Taupo from July 2 -4 where the seven regional finalists will battle it out for the Champion’s title and more than $270,000 in prizes.
get home, Lisa says. “We definitely want people to mark the dates on their calendars and start thinking about entering them and their families.” Entry forms will be available one month prior to the competition and will be available at Hunting & Fishing Marlborough, at www. hookedonboars.com, in the Hooked On Boars magazine and their Facebook page. Super event The last Boar Slaying Super Comp was held in 2013 and attracted close to 500 entries. There were 99 boars were entered with the
winning boar weighing in at 87.8kg, caught by Hokitika hunter Daniel Fortune. The major spot prize in the Open Division of a Hilux 3L double cab fitted with a Silverline Alloy dog box was won by Ed McDonell of Pahi in the North Island. The event was a huge success made even more memorable by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake which shook that day.
Record crop Timaru-based farmers, Warren and Joy Darling have entered the renowned book of Guinness World Records, after producing the world’s largest crop of barley, breaking a 25 year record. The couple produced a staggering 13.8 tonnes of barley per hectare, smashing the previous record of 12.2 tonnes, which has been held by a Scottish grower, Gordon Rennie of Stockton Park Ltd, since 1989. This is equivalent to the weight of more than 17,000 loaves of bread per hectare!
BLENHEIM 51 MAIN ST P 03 579 1332
BRIDGES & UNDERPASSES
5 star tYre service
Talk to the fleet specialist Commercial & Agricultural
Vineyard & Fencing SpecialiSt
Farm, residential, lifestyle Fencing, Vineyard posting, Strainers, Stays, post replacement, Wire running.
For your personal commitment to quality and service call
graeme coleman ltd SerVicing: Marlborough, blenheiM, picton, Wairau
PH/FAX: 03 575 7595 • 027 260 7815 Email: GC.LTD@xtra.co.nz • PO Box 5 Seddon 7247 • Opening Hours: 7am - 6pm Mon - Fri
Cnr Nelson & Hutcheson Street
24 hour service fast & reliable
0800 226 324