The Country 08/04/25: Mark Dillon talks to Jamie Mackay

The 2025 New Zealand Ploughing Champs were held over the weekend in Middlemarch. Today, we catch up with the Southland farmer who took out the coveted “Silver Plough” title.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We missed him on yesterday's show, but I've managed to
nail him today. Mark Dylan for the fourth time, the
New Zealand Plowing Championship winner in the conventional section. They
also have a reversible section. Hey Mark, congratulations you're back
on the home farm in Riversdale. Before we talk about
your two trips coming up to Europe, I want to
ask you this. You're a big, big cropping farmer. You're

(00:22):
right next door to my duck pond in Riversdale. I
hope you haven't harvested all those crops yet.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
No, No, they'll be still at the bailey there in
Flok we would have done. There'll be still a few
ducks floading room with then there's plenty area.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
And at the moment, now, how big a pest have
the ducks been this year in Southland?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh? He'd be a lot of people who window crops
touch what we've been all right, but there's been quite
a problem being crops of Do you favor.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
An open shooting season before the traditional shooting season.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, the cost of you eating your crops and costing
your money would for that.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Well, they are a pest after all. Okay, So fourth
time winner of the conventional New Zealand Plowing championships. The
irony is you're that good. You're heading over to Europe
on two more occasions this year and I think next
year you leave. Do you leave your tractor and plow
over there?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, we have done so there that the gear is
sitting at the Pro University and Czech Republic wording for
us to go over there in August. Will be over
there practicing for the competition in early September.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
So that's this year twenty twenty five. But courtesy of
winning I don't know how this works, Mark, but courtesy
of winning your fourth New Zealand Plowing Championship, you're off
to Europe again next year twenty twenty six. How does
that work?

Speaker 2 (01:33):
So because we're on the other side of the world
in shippening logistics and all that sort of sort of it,
so we call it for I suppose a year and
a bit ahead for the next to following nationals or
international lautor so later this.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Year you'll be sharing with sharing, you'll be plowing, should
I say, with another great plowman, Bob Mertens. He's in
the reversible class. So that's this year. Who took out
the reversible class at Middle March over the weekend to
join you next year.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah. So Mel cam Pailer from the north Land, he
won the reversible glass this year.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
How difficult was it for you? Southland farmer? And I
know your farm very very well. Obviously it's right next
door to our old farm and I know that it
probably is reasonably good plow and conditions middle March, you know,
on the way to Queenstown from Dunedin on the strath
Tiree there can get a bit dry. They've been a
bit dry this season with it plow and conditions dry

(02:27):
than what you were used to.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, it is. We played up here in the spring
it was beautiful, but did just do stuff? We splied
up here was very draw, very hard, a few modifications
and needed just to get the player ron where I
wanted to. Saturday, Bob, he wasn't a heavyer that the
Sunday of Cameron and a really good day on Sunday.
And forget the gold medal as well.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
So do you plow like a grass paddock as well
as a stubble paddock? How does it work?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
One day of stubble which was the Saturday, and then
a one day of grass on the Sunday.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Are you paid to go over there or is your
way paid? Because I'm imagining if you're having to fund
this yourself two trips to Europe over the next two years,
it would be quite expensive, let alone shipping your tractor
and your plow over and storing them over there.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, I'm really lucky. I am so one week and
third any club one of Plans Plan Association has done
a lot of fund raising and pretty ucky had a
lot of sponsors come on board too, and all shipping
and helpeud and then MGPA contributes to travel costs and
thoughts and accommodation and stuff as well. Yeah, still gets
to get into pocket for a bit.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Do you get to turn left when you jump on
the plane for Europe? Mark up the business class?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Nah, it doesn't quite strict that. It would be nice.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
Good only Hey listeners, a fellow rivers Daly and I'm
very proud of you. You go well and Europe this
year and next year. Congratulations to you and Malcolm Taylor
for wanting at the New Zealand Plowing Championships over the
weekend in middle March.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, ches do much. Apresire