Two of the successful competitors at the Patangata Tavern's recent Farmstrong Bark Up event.
Two of the successful competitors at the Patangata Tavern's recent Farmstrong Bark Up event.
The Patangata Tavern’s first annual bark up last month not only raised the roof and the spirits (and a few folks raised a glass or two) but it also raised $2000 for Farmstrong.
Farmstrong Bark Up was an event set up by the Patangata Tavern to help raise awareness of rural mental health and support Farmstrong, a nationwide wellbeing programme for the rural community.
The Bark Up competition attracted a crowd to the tavern, newly reopened after Cyclone Gabrielle flooded the property.
The object of a bark up competition is to see whose dog - generally of the farming variety - can bark the loudest, on command. Any handler whose dog fails to bark on command is obliged to do the barking themselves.
The bark up was planned before the advent of Cyclone Gabrielle, but the flooding experienced in the region on February 14 just made the event more necessary, as a way of having a bit of fun and a few laughs after a tough time, says co-proprietor Aaron Bartlett, who owns the tavern with his wife Rhonda.
You didn't have to dress up to match your dog ... but it didn't hurt!
The pair had their own cyclone-related issues, with the tavern and its grounds flooded during the cyclone.
“We had a bit of a digger moment ourselves, but we got it sorted in time for the event,” Aaron says.
“The turnout was awesome. The event was well received and everyone’s keen to do it again so it could be an annual event.”
