Abel throw wins title

He needed to borrow a throwing axe, but Willie Abel still managed to claim Marlborough's sole title at the South Island Axemen's Championships in Winchester and Geraldine last weekend.

The Picton axeman left his double-bladed throwing axe at home but that wasn't enough to stop him taking the weekend's axe-throwing title with 15 points.

Axe throwing is similar to darts, with competitors heaving the axe at a large target with a bullseye.

A powerful West Coast side led by Adam Lowe, who has won the Geoff Hocquard Championship Chop at the Marlborough A&P Show for the last four years, cleaned up in most of the individual chopping and sawing events.

The Marlborough combination of David and Geoffrey Hocquard claimed third in the 500mm double saw, while Geoffrey placed fourth in the 400mm single saw and 300mm standing chop.

West Coast/Buller were just as commanding in the interprovincial team races, winning each of their events by at least a block.

Nelson/Marlborough finished second after a come-from-behind win over Southland/Otago and leading all the way to beat Canterbury by a quarter of a block.

The Nelson/Marlborough team was made up of competitors from Blenheim and Picton, with Abel on the first underhand chop, Murray Hocquard the standing chop, David Hocquard the single saw, Peter and Tracy Large the Jack and Jill saw, Geoffrey Hocquard the second underhand and Robbie Brownlee the second standing chop.

- The Marlborough Express

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