Field of dreams

BY BLAIR ENSOR

Thirteen is an unlucky number for many, but not for one Marlborough ploughing ace.

Rural reporter Blair Ensor catches up with new New Zealand Ploughing Association president Graham Gifford, who has his work cut out ahead of this year's 57th World Ploughing Contest in Methven.

In 1987, a fighting fit Graham Gifford was up against it at the New Zealand Ploughing Championships in Rotorua.

He was competing in his 13th national final, his accommodation was in room number 13 and, to top it off, he drew plot number 13 – a setback for any superstitious individual, but not for Graham. At the event he went on to win the first of two career national titles, the later was in Rakaia in 1989.

Two decades on, the 69-year-old is back at the top of the fabled rural sport, this time for his second crack as president; he first took on the role in 2001.

It's a special year for the sport in New Zealand – 2010 marks the 57th World Ploughing Contest, to be hosted in Methven from April 10 to 19.

It's the first time the event has been held in the country since 1994 and 59 contestants, including two New Zealanders, will compete for world supremacy. "It's going to be very, very big ... it's a huge honour."

In such an important year for the sport, his primary role as "big boss" is to "crack the whip" and make sure the event runs smoothly. It's a demanding role, which has him travelling the coastal route south to Methven every fortnight.

"As you can imagine, going up and down that bloody road all the time, there's not a lot of time spent at home."

There's no doubting his passion for ploughing. There's a glint in his eye when he shows off his old competition plough and there's a swag of trophies and memorabilia scattered throughout the Gifford homestead on O'Dwyers Rd.

Born and brought up in Marlborough, Graham has lived most of his life on the 61-hectare property first settled by his grandfather, Alf, in the early 1900s.

Cropping has always been the staple of the farm. His father, Clarence, took the property's reins in the early 1960s, while Graham was working at New Zealand Post as a mechanic. However, Graham was summoned home in 1964 when his old man was sidelined by a serious hip injury, just before harvest time.

He's been home ever since.

It was when he first moved home that his affinity with ploughing began. First it was a hobby, but it's well past that now, he says.

"I'm a wee bit of a fanatic. A lot of people hate it, but I love it ... it was in my blood."

Alf was a foundation member of the Marlborough Ploughing Association and Clarence a master of the art of ploughing with horses.

Over the years, he has established a well-worn groove on the seat of his tractor. He would plough for in excess of 12 hours if he had to.

"There's nothing better than when you've finished ploughing a plot to look back at it and say to yourself, `I've made a good job of that'."

He's a firm believer that the best way of getting a good seed bed is to plough the soil.

There's a lot of emphasis on direct drilling in modern farming regimes, says Graham, but he is still a firm believer in ploughing the soil first. That way, the grass is "pulled under".

Graham's first foray into national competition was in 1973 when he qualified for the New Zealand final, but it was more than a decade until he tasted success. He dominated the sport nationally throughout the mid to late 1980s, to the point fellow competitors could be heard cursing "that bloody Gifford is here again".

He went on to represent New Zealand four times at the world championships in a career that spanned 26 years and he cites the comradeship of the sport as a highlight.

"One helps the other ... there's no fisticuffs. As soon as you've ploughed your plot, you go have a beer with your mates."

There's nothing better than when you've finished ploughing a plot to look back at it and say to yourself, `I've made a good job of that' - Graham Gifford New Zealand Ploughing Association president

- The Marlborough Express