Ploughman takes tractor to the worlds

Ploughmen representing New Zealand at the World Ploughing Contest in Estonia from August 16 are Mark Dillon (left), of Riversdale, and his Massey Ferguson 362 and Bob Mehrtens, of Timaru, and his Ford 7740. They put their tractors and ploughs in a container to transport from Morrinsville to Europe earlier this year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Riversdale crop farmer Mark Dillon will represent New Zealand at the 69th World Ploughing Contest in Estonia from August 16. Shawn McAvinue talks with him before he departs.

Q. How many worlds have you competed in?

This will be my second worlds and I’ve competed in 23 New Zealand finals.

Q. I hear you are taking your own tractor and plough to Estonia. What are you competing with?

A 1993 Massey Ferguson 362 and a 1994 Kverneland plough.

Q. Have you taken your own tractor and plough to a world contest before?

This is the first time I’ve taken my own gear. The first time I borrowed gear.

Q. Why did you decide to take your own gear this time?

It is like playing golf with somebody else’s golf clubs. If you want to be competitive you’ve got to have your own gear.

Q. How did you get your tractor and plough to Estonia?

Ploughman Mark Dillon, of Riversdale, won the Silver Plough conventional section of the New Zealand Ploughing Championships at Horotiu near Hamilton in April this year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

I trucked it to Timaru and it was put in a container to get to Hamilton so I could plough with it at the national finals. Then we cleaned it up in the yard at Power Farming in Morrinsville and put it back in the container to put it on a ship in Tauranga to get to the worlds.

Q. Shipping has been a bit hit-and-miss since the pandemic. How were the logistics of getting your machinery to Estonia including cost?

I think it cost about $15,000 including getting a passport for the tractor. I’ve learned a bit about the shipping side. One thing we were worried about was the container missing the boat in Germany because there was a one-day turnaround of getting off a ship and on to the next one but everything went perfect and the gear is there before us.

Q. Will you have time to practise in Estonia?

A guy who helped with the freight at the Estonia end has got friends who are farmers and they have offered us some practice ground, so as soon as we get there we’ll be into it.

Q. What type of soil are you expecting to be ploughing?

It should be a sandy loam and quite a nice soil. They have more settled weather over there than us but they had a bit of rain the other day and some of the grain we are ploughing has gone flat (fallen over) so there should be a bit of moisture and pretty good going.

Q. You are competing in Tartu, which is about 50km west of the Russian border. Any nerves being so close to a nation at war?

Yeah, hopefully they behave while we are there.

Q. You’ve already qualified to represent New Zealand at the 70th World Ploughing Contest in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2025. Are you considering driving your tractor the 1500km to drop it off or are you shipping it home?

I don’t think we’ll drive it but a guy in Prague has offered to hook us up with some storage and some practice ground for next year as well.

Q. What entourage is going with you to Estonia?

My parents, my aunty, my wife and my coach Ronald Sheat.

Q. Are you visualising any particular placement on the podium at the worlds?

We are going there with goodintentions but we don’t want to speak too much out of turn just yet.

Southern Rural Life