Holding the Line

The rain held off, for the most part, as we arrived at day three of Fieldays at Mystery Creek, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event. Day one saw the Fieldays Silver Staples - Cadet Competition and Bill Schuler Singles Competition identify some up-and-coming fencers from schools like Geraldine High School and Pukemiro Station.

The Golden Pliers Singles Championship by WIREMARK had kicked off on day two, and a few tired but contented fencers returned for day three, teaming up to tackle the Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship. Goldpine provided all the timber for the Fieldays Silver Spades fencing competition.

A good crowd of fencers, families, and Fieldays patrons gathered to watch the competitions unfold. Out of 27 teams in the Golden Pliers heats, and 17 teams in the Silver Spades heats, eight made it to each final. In the Fieldays Silver Spades this included one team representing the South Island, Tom Rathgen and Isaac Johnston, one team from the UK, Simon Gibbs and John Morgan, and one team from the US, Luke Gibson and Edward Struna.

We caught up with Owen Peterson, Chief Judge, who shared that this year’s Fieldays Silver Spades fence was technical, and the fencers would have to pay close attention to their measurements, heights, and the line of the fence in order to be successful. “It is an interesting one. They have to build a gate, and that’s a skill in itself. They had to make sure they didn’t waste the rail, otherwise they would have been short. They had to study it beforehand,” he said.

Paul van Beers has been judging fencing competitions for over 40 years and is himself a 14-time winner of the Golden Pliers by WIREMARK and a 12-time winner of the Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship. He emphasised the technicality of the Fieldays Silver Spades fence and why they needed to use reliable products in competitions. “We always use quality products, in this case Goldpine timber, so we can promote the right way to build a fence,” he said. “There are three aspects to this competition that the fencers need to consider. Quality, strength, and speed. Finding the balance between the three will make the winner.”

In the heats, competitors were challenged to construct a precise and technically demanding wire fence under time constraints. They had four hours to erect a 40m, two-line fence with two diagonal strainers, nine quarter-round RHINO posts (one-footed), and two high-tensile 2.5mm wires spaced at 50mm and 975mm from the top. The wire had to start from the left-hand side and include a join in the top wire of the second panel.

For the Golden Pliers by WIREMARK Singles Championship, the task was even more rigorous, requiring 50m of fencing with 15 posts, precise wire spacings from 50mm to 1075mm, three battens per panel, and a steel gate. The fence had to meet strict height requirements (1175mm), use lock-thru gudgeons, and be completed without staple guns - all within 6.5 hours.

The Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship saw competitors tasked with a very technical fenceline. They had to build a 36-metre fence featuring six wires - two of which were electric - and two diagonal stay assemblies. The fence included 10 Goldpine Rounded Superposts spaced up to four metres apart, and the structure had to maintain a strict height of 1175mm. Wire spacing ranged from 50mm to 1025mm, with electric wires placed second and fifth from the top. The top electric wire had to be joined to the bottom one using an insulator and a clamp, with a switch and an underground cable setup at the terminal post. A one-metre gate was also required, complete with rails and a swing mechanism using screw-in gudgeons. Timber rails were spaced precisely, and all nailing had to follow a uniform pattern. The use of post-stapling guns was encouraged for speed and consistency.

The results rolled in on Friday evening. Tim Stafford had a standout showing at the 2025 Fieldays Fencing Competitions, taking out first place in the Golden Pliers by WIREMARK Singles Championship, taking the reigning spot from Tim Garrick and earning the Best Quality award. He also teamed up with Jeff Joines to win the Fieldays Silver Spades Doubles Championship, securing a spot at the US Platinum Strainer Doubles event in Virginia later this year. It’s a strong step up from 2023, where Stafford placed third in singles behind Tony Bouskill and Jeff Joines. This year, Tony placed third in singles and second in doubles with his brother Shane, ending a dominant run that included five consecutive Golden Pliers titles between 2018 and 2023.

In the doubles, consistency was key. Last year’s Silver Spades champions Tim Garrick and Cory Twigley finished third, matching their strong individual performances in the singles, where they placed second and fifth, respectively. Michael Trott won the Bill Schuler event, with Kupu Lloyd in second and Sam Burton third. Michael and Kupu also placed fourth in the doubles competition, showing solid form across both events. David Swansson and Murray Graham received recognition as Best First Year and Best Second Year, respectively, suggesting more depth coming through the ranks. With returning champions still competitive and new names making their mark, this year’s results reflect a balance of experience and emerging talent in New Zealand fencing.

Tom Rathgen and Isaac Johnston, representing the South Island, held strong against their North Island competition. “It was amazing to compete against all the boys there. It’s definitely a different league but was a big eye opener,” Tom said.

The three-day competition was filled with displays of skill and precision, ending with tired bodies and minds, but a strong sense of pride amongst competitors and their supporters.