The long-awaited Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games is happening soon, after a year of being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Palmerston North event commences again in March 10-12, inclusive of new features which cover the debut of Golden Loader Championship part of the event.
The Golden Loader Championship refers to world-record efforts of doing women’s truck pulling, chainsaw sculpting, and a mullet competition. On Friday, March 10, the activities for the said rural games event are the women’s and rookies Timbersports, Agri Futures careers expo, and Clash of the Colleges. Many teens compete with each other for the right to acquire bragging privileges.
The schedule of activities for Saturday and Sunday at the Ford Ranger rural games include Highland Heavies, sheep dog trials, men’s Timbersports championships, fencing, tree climbing, shearing, gumboot and cowpat throwing, egg and throw catch, and the North Island Secondary School Shearing championships.
The Golden Loader Forestry Championship are inclusive of two competitors racing against one another. Furthermore, the clock to load and unload a truck and a trailer unit is in The Square.
Rural games founder, Steve Hollander, shares that it has been quite-a-while coming of hosting a Forestry championship that commemorates the contributions of the industry in boosting the welfare of community members and the country itself.
According to Hollander, forestry is a major portion of the rural section of New Zealand. Hollander further says that it’s only just and convenient for New Zealanders to commemorate the important part it plays by hosting a championship that highlights the skills needed from the concerned individuals to attract forestry machinery when luring in investors.
The championship will commence on March 12, Sunday, from 9 am to 1:30 pm. The championship is going to be the key to the access to Ford Ranger New Zealand rural games for 2023 to commence in the form of an hour special to be aired in TV3.
Entries are restricted to 24 individuals, and only people who are currently working in the said industry and who have their loader tickets are allowed to participate. According to organizer, Tony Groome, only the people who lived close to forestry blocks or worked in the concerned industry are allowed to witness this kind of action.
The Golden Loader Forestry Championship acquires its funding source from the Forestry Growers Levy Trust. It is organized by the Southern North Island Wood Council. The Stihl Timbersports New Zealand Ladies Championship and the New Zealand Rookie Championship at Te Marae o Hine take place on March 10, Friday.
