The 10th Edition Of The Ford Ranger NZ Rural Games Celebrated With A New Kiwi Record

The 10th edition of the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games brought Palmy to life over the weekend, with record-breaking action and thousands turning out to celebrate the sports that built our nation!

Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games founder Steve Hollander said it was momentous to mark the tenth edition of the Games, which were established to create a platform to bring together rural sports, provide national competitions for athletes, and help rural sports to grow.

The Games are one big family – and the people behind the scenes are just as much a part of that as the competitors. Every year, we come from across New Zealand and Australia to Palmy – our home away from home – and work with our local and national teams who are now part of the Rural Games whānau."

“Palmy should be very proud of Te Marae o Hine, The Square – no question, it’s the best central city park in the country!"

“We love it here, and over the weekend, we hosted more than 37,500 of people who came along to watch and have a go at the sports that built our nation.”

Major results:

• Auckland’s Matthew Ragg – New Zealand’s strongest man – smashed the Weight Over Bar record at 17 feet, taking the title off Adam Miller!
• Jack Jordan from Taumarunui won the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS NZ Men’s Championship for the fourth time.
• Tim Garrick of Gisborne secured back-to-back wins in the Future Post New Zealand Speed Fencing Championship with StockAde and NZ Fencing Competitions.
• Steph Dryfhout, who won the Supreme Winner of the Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards on Friday night, secured the Tree Climbing Doubles Championship with her fellow climber Jeremy Miller.
• Adam Miller of Palmerston North secured his third victory in the Sir Eion Edgar Southern Hemisphere Highland Championship with TransAg and New Holland.
• A new Rural Games record for weight to distance was set by Craig Manson at 20.84m – beating Adam Miller’s previous record of 20.31m.

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This year’s Rural Games were jam-packed with sporting royalty! Olympians Erica Dawson and Dylan Schmidt, Paralympian Cameron Leslie MNZM, and shearing legends Sir David Fagan and Rowland Smith were all here. Social media Agri Edutainer Tangaroa Walker brought the energy, while key leaders, including the Minister of Sport Hon. Mark Mitchell and Minister of Agriculture Hon. Todd McClay hosted the Irish Ambassador and Jerry Buttimer, the Irish Minister of Rural Communities and Development, who joined us for a weekend of fierce competition and rural pride!

Missed the Games? Don’t worry, TV3 has got you! The one-hour highlights show airs on TV3 with hosts Tia McDougall, Tangaroa Walker, and Mark Leishman at 5 p.m. on Saturday, 29 March, with a repeat at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, 5 April 2025.

FULL RESULTS OF THE 2025 Ford Ranger NZ Rural Games

• NZ STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Men’s Championship: 1st place Jack Jordan of Taumarunui, 2nd Shane Jordan of Stratford and 3rd place Cleveland Cherry from Putaruru
• NZ STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Women’s: 1st Anne Paterson formerly of the Grey Valley, 2nd Otaki's Alma Wallace and Rolleston's Raewyn Windley in third
• NZ STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Rookie: 1st Mathew Gower of Whangamomona, 2nd Morgan Bolstad of Taumarunui and third Sam Bellamy from Stratford
• NZ Speed Tree Climbing Doubles Championship with Guardian Trees and Husqvarna: 1st: Waikato/Bay of Plenty team of Steph Dryfhout and Jeremy Miller, 2nd: South Island: Chrissie Spence & Dominik Ritter, 3rd: Wellington: Callum Toms and Sam Fraser and 4th: Auckland: Brianna Uivel and Eddie White
• NZ Speed Fencing Championships with Future Post, StockAde and NZ Fencing Competitions: 1st: Gisborne’s Tim Garrick, 2nd Jared Baines of Taumarunui and third Feilding’s Burne Maxted. And the Battening Challenge was wone by Troy Brooky of the Waikato
• The Tony Chapman NZ Speed Shearing Championship:
  • 1st: Toa Henderson of Kaiwaka (two sheep at 42:86)
  • 2nd: Jack Fagan of Te Kuiti (two sheep at 43.6 seconds)
  • 3rd: Brett Roberts of Mataura
• The Sir Eion Edgar Southern Hemisphere Highlander Championship with TransAg and New Holland:
  • 1st Adam Miller of Palmerston North with 12 points –
  • 2nd Mathew Ragg from Auckland with 14 points
  • 3rd Craig Manson from Ashburton with 15 points
• NZ Gumboot Throwing Championship with Skellerup:
  • Womens: 1st Kristin Churchward (32.6m) of Taihape, 2nd Nerisa Utailesolo (27.93m) of Palmerston North 3rd Del Adams (27.83) of Taihape
  • Mens: Stuart McNie (40.45m) of Bulls, 2nd Richard Port (38.1m) Pohangina and 3rd Craig Manson (32.37m) of Ashburton
• Sam Strahan Memorial Sheep Dog Trials with PTS Logistics: Won by the Men’s Team – from Dannevirke: David Shield with Kip & Gov and Paul Evans with Trump & Ned. From Hunterville: Gavin Drake with Baldy and Hunter Davis with Ellie & Pound. The Women’s Team was Gisborne’s Jo McIntyre with Guy & Trim, Joline Joslin from Taihape with Meg & Jen, Rachel Law of Whangamomona with Miss & Shrimp, Ruby Bailey of Feilding with Sass.
• ANZAXE Championship with Neighbourhood Restaurant and Bar
  • Hatchet:
    • 1st: Kent Lambert from Wellington
    • 2nd Lloyd Bomell from Wellington
    • 3rd Ray Chubb from Auckland
  • Big Axe:
    • 1st Ray Chubb of Auckland
    • 2nd Kent Lambert Wellington
    • 3rd Angela Owen from Porirua
  • Dual: First place Kent Lambert and Ray Chubb
• NZ Egg Throw & Catch Championship with Steve Hollander:
• 1st: Perry Mavor and Jacob Smith of Palmerston North
• 2nd: Issac Murray and Jayden Thessman of Palmerston North
• 3rd: Ryan Theunissen and Jeremy Murdock
• NZ Coal Shovelling Championship with Bathurst Resources and McIntosh Farm Machinery:
  • Teams: 1st: Crossfit Team Palmerston North – Adam, Lachlan, Daniel & Sam, 2nd: Manawatu Rugby Team – Sam, Zac, Rueben, Lachlan
  • Men’s Doubles: 1st: Daniel & Adam from Palmerston North, 2nd
• NZ Cowpat Throwing Championship with Speights and Federated Farmers:
  • 1st Eamon Prasser from New Plymouth (28m)
  • 2nd Johan from Foxton (26m)
  • Children’s Throw winner: Beau Nicklin from Palmerston North (21.4m)
• The Mutt & Mate Derby with Skellerup: 1st: Thomas Leamy, 2nd Daniel Johnson-Walker and third Shaun Woods.
• North Island Secondary School Shearing Championships results:
  • 1st Team: Feilding High School: Alex Wrenn, Mac Foreman, Harry Dickson, Cody Hall, Brenna Ratima and Jessice Will
  • 2nd Team: Wairarapa College: Jack Heynes, Angus Monk, Harry Monk, Nick Donaldson, Sophie Humphreys and Georgia Buick.
  • 3rd Team: Palmerston North Boys’ High School: Jacob Bird, Henry Speedy, Oliver Bambry, Wills Madden, Johnny Fowler and Harry Weir
  • 1st Individual Quality Shearer: Mac Foreman from Feilding High School
  • Best Wool Handler: Brenna Ratima from Feilding High School.

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