Fieldays Fencing Championships
Everything you need to know about this year's National Fencing Championships at NZ National Fieldays...
This year’s National Fencing Championships are being held at Fieldays in Hamilton. The event brings out some fierce rivalry and is known as the premier fencing competition in the country.
Over recent years New Zealand fencing competitions have been working towards national judging standards that are at a high level yet attainable to local and regional competitions throughout the country.
For many years Richard Broughton from Whangarei has been chief judge and leads a team of 10 judges and three technical judges at Fieldays. "The principle of judging is to be equal to all competitors and consistent in our interpretation," he says.
"We use measuring and specific guidelines. At Fieldays we have a team of volunteer judges, some who have judged for up to 17 years."
Richard himself spends 10 days at the Fieldays, setting up the fencing and leading the team over the full week, with heats on the Monday and competitions on the Wednesday to Friday.
The Wiremark Golden Pliers Fence
The Wiremark Golden Pliers Fence is a single championship which involves construction of a 50 metre long, nine wire post, wire and batten fence, including diagonal end assemblies, foots and hanging a pipe gate. The maximum allowed time is six-and-a-half hours, with the fastest time traditionally around the four-and-a-half hour mark.
The Fieldays Silver Spades
Being a doubles competition, Silver Spades is faster paced than the singles and teamwork prevails, as it does on many fence lines around the country. However the judges are still present, again seeking an exceptionally high standard.
Bill Schuler
The Bill Schuler Competition is open to the next six competitors from the Golden Pliers heats who have never made a Golden Pliers Final. Competitors can win the Bill Schuler Competition twice before becoming ineligible to compete. The fence is a three wire electric fence.
Silver Staples
The Fieldays Silver Staples is a training institutes doubles competition and competitors must be under the age of 23 years and be enrolled in a training institution. This competition has been implemented at Fieldays for the past four years and cadet training farms like Smedley, Waipaoa and Otiwhiti have entered teams, along with Taratahi.
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