Posted on

Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin

The FCANZ National Fencing Field Day was held on the Wednesday preceding the 2022 Conference and gratefully the weather played its part in a fine, near mild day without the high winds that cancelled and delayed so many flights into Dunedin on the Tuesday.

The Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds proved to be a valuable site, though it’s always hard to plan for an event on a site you have never laid eyes on. Certainly A&P Showgrounds infrastructure tends to suit our events. 

With around 20 exhibitors that service the fencing industry the site layout worked well with a Secondary Schools skills challenge down one end and the exhibitors lined up on the other three sides.

Exhibitors included Waratah, Beattie Insulators, Steel and Tube, Strainrite, Delfast, Boundaryline, FENCEQUIP, Edgesmith, Summit, Farmlands, Gallagher, Southland Farm machinery with Fencepro, Power Farming with Kinghitter, Bayonet, Stockade, Revolution Postdrivers, Activ Trailers, W.Rietveld Ltd (rock drilling) Stronghold and Micky Thompson tyres.

Discussion topics included a review of different types of footings, electrics, and rail work. Our thanks to Mark Lambert and Tony White for heading these, alongside MC John Noakes.

The Carr Family Foundation Rural Health Caravan ran checks on over 40 people – a sincere thank you to Craig Wiggins and Nurse Kirsten Barnes who carried out the health checks.

A number of competitions were run by FCANZ and exhibitors including Summit, Waratah, Strainrite and Stockade. 

This Field Day came together with help from the FCANZ Board, Jeanette, Jaime, local contractor Nick Terry and some of his crew members, Tony White and John Noakes. Chris and Sue Aspinall turned up on Tuesday and Wednesday to help, along with Angelina Beets. As they say, many hands make light work!

Results of the FCANZ Field Day Competitions 

Guess the weight of the Strainer (65.5kg)
Non member: Peter Graham (66kg)
Member: Andrew Abercrombie (62kg)

Stride/Distance (70.3m)
Aaron Sutherland (70.2) 

Hit the Nail
Jake Scott (3 hits) 

Waratah Guess the Staple (1049 Staples)
Danyel Watson (1001) 

Hammer Throw
Male: Ben Haugh (48m)
Female: Donna Upton

Javelin
Member: Jack Easen
Non-member: Michael Conijn
Female: Zoe Max

Waratah Wire Sculpture
Ez Fencing: Harold the Giraffe