2023 saw Geraldine High School’s Primary Industry Academy (PIA) compete in the Fieldays® Silver Spades™ Doubles Championship for the first time. Suitably inspired after watching Fencing Royalty compete in the Golden Pliers® Singles Championship, “Why can’t we do something like this for school students back home?” we thought.
A whole lot of making useful friends, ringing in a few (many) favours, lots of advice from NZ Fencing Competitions and BOOM, we did it. The inaugural Point Lumber Secondary School’s Fencing Competition was launched at the Mackenzie Highland A&P show on Easter Monday.
Our aim was to showcase what teenagers are capable of and provide the opportunity for students to get a taste of competition fencing. With entry criteria being currently enrolled secondary school students, we set about entering six pairs from Geraldine High School (GHS) and Mackenzie College (MC).
Specifications and Rules
- Pre driven strainers;
- 3 wire electric – 1 and 3 hot connected in parallel at each end;
- Overall height of fence: 1175mm. Wires located at 75mm, 450mm and 800mm from the top of the post, or, match Y post holes. Rammed to a height of 1175mm
- Triplex (in-line strainer) 3 ways in the third panel
- Tension wires 1 and 3 at 100kg; dead wire at 150kg
- Crimp second panel
- Figure 8 fourth panel
Time allocation and penalties:
Two hours or until the first team finishes, then one point is taken off for each minute after the first team finishes. Tools down at 2 hours.
A demonstration fence was prebuilt and used to calibrate tension gauges. We had thought to dig in an intermediate post, but needing to add a wheelbarrow of water to each hole just to drive the strainers when setting up; we thought digging would ensure we would have no future entries, hence all intermediates were Y posts.
So how did we go?
What a day! We’re super proud of what we achieved. Huge mahi by our competitors, being brave enough to perform in front of the farming community. I thought it would go ok, but never expected the crowd watching or the numerous positive comments from spectators around how awesome it was to see such capable teenagers out there doing it.
A huge thank you to Andy from Point Lumber, who were such generous sponsors; and our fabulous judges – Struan Moore from Strainrite, who always makes such an effort to support us, and ex PIA students Bryn Chisholm & Quinn Foley-Smith. Also thank you to Lydia Rae and Quinn who both gave us considerable time, helping to organise the competition plan and set up.
Congratulations to our inaugural Point Lumber Secondary School’s Fencing Competition champions:
First: Lachie O’Connell & Tom Batty (GHS)
Second: Emily Geary & Lachlan Hurst (MC/Honorary PIA)
Third: Josh Isherwood & Conor Foley-Smith (GHS)
Our Strainrite Termination knot challenge was also popular with students & spectators, with PIA once again doing us proud.
First: Lachie O’Connell (GHS)
Second: Josh Isherwood (GHS)
Third: Jackson Marriott (GHS)
Special mention to our Year 11 students, Hayley Pidgeon and Koby McNamee, and Cullen Bolt and Cayden Howell, for performing far outside their comfort zone in entering a competition after fencing for just eight weeks. Clearly some superstars in the making!
Article by Sarah Foley-Smith from Geraldine High School
Published in WIRED issue 73/JUNE 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ
