Lincoln and Marshall Eastwood with the trophy deer.
The 2018 Easter weekend PongaRoar Hunt was another huge success.
The weather was definitely on our side and once again entries were up on previous years by nearly 15 per cent.
There were 203 open entries including 27 women, 139 junior entries and 35 teams.
In the open category 23 boars were weighed in, (17 in 2017), 37 red stags (38 in 2017), 20 fallow stags, (28 in 2017) and 17 goat heads, (eight in 2017).
Ten teams successfully completed the big four by weighing in a boar, fallow and red stags and presenting a goat head for judging.
The juniors presented 35 possums, 44 rabbits, 68 hares, 54 goat heads and four boars.
The pig-carrying contest again proved very popular and was extremely entertaining and well run by Buzz and Ron King and Molly Kidd.
From 2011 until this year the PongaRoar hunt has been organised and run by Michael and Gaylene Hart, Adrian and Jenny Wright and Dave Kirk.
A huge thank you must go out to them for not only creating and running such a popular annual event but for raising many thousands of dollars for the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
We must not forget all those that have assisted and helped them also, just as many thanks goes to each and every one of them.
This year the hunt was run by a few new committee members as well as existing ones. The committee would like to thank all those who attended, competed and were involved in the hunt. A huge thank you to all local and out-of-town sponsors for your generous donations.
Gowen Greene, your generosity and commitment to go the extra mile is more than appreciated by all, as without you the hunt would not run as smooth and successfully as it does.
PongaRoar hunt results:
Open Section:
Heaviest Boar Heaviest Red Stag: 1 B. Holm 83kg 1 J. Cutbush 168.5kg, 2 K. TeHuia 72.5kg 2 K. Bouskill 138.5kg, 3 M. McKay 71kg 3 S. Forrest 138.5kg, 4 B. Arnold 70.5kg 4 T. Goldsack 136kg, 5 L. Eastwood 67.5kg 5 S. Bouskill 136kg. Average Boar Best Red Head — average weight was 49.06kg 1 L. Bennett. Average Boar B. TeKahika 48kg 2 M. Bradbury. Above average weight C. Darbyshire 52.5kg 3 T. McLanihan. Below average weight S. Wregglesworth 46kg. Heaviest Fallow Stag — Best Tusks 1 L. Hunter 73.5kg, 1 K. TeHuia 3" 2 A.Huges 71.5kg, 2 B. Arnold 2" 2/8 3 L. Bennett 70kg, 3 B. Holm 2" 2/8. Best Fallow Head — Best Goat Head 1 L. Bennett 1 B. MacPherson 102.4cm, 2 T.
Armstrong, 3 T. Vaughan. PongaRoar Four total points Winner Open Spot prize — .308 Remington Rifle: 1 The Boys 339 B.Mead, 2 Boar Bagz 319.8, 3 Waimarino Slayers 306.2. Women's Section: Heaviest Boar Heaviest Red Stag: 1 V. Prendegast 48kg 1 D. Zentveld 116kg, 2 B. Bicknell 113.5kg. Heaviest Fallow Stag 3 S. Hemopo 109kg, 1 D. Zentveld 69kg , 2 G. Wright 64.5kg. Women's Draw — $300 Grisport Boots 3 A. Matthews 60.5kg C. Smith.
Junior Section
Heaviest Boar Heaviest O'Possum Heaviest Rabbit: 1 B. Morris 38kg 1 C. Elliffe 4.67kg 1 D. Stoddard 2.23kg, 2 M. Eastwood 35.5kg 2 D. Radford 3.69kg 2 T. Haliburton 2.17kg, 3 B. Hemopo 33.5kg 3 R. Hemopo 3.38kg 3 H. Bell 2.02kg, 4 D. Stoddard 3.28kg 4 M. Free 1.95kg, 5 K. Craft — Chemis 3.26kg 5 R. Hemopo 1.92kg. Heaviest Hare Best Goat Head: 1 R. Timothy 4.15kg 1 J. Craft-Chemis 82.3cm winner of $100 Hunting & Fishing Voucher, 2 L. Timothy 4.10kg 2 J. Sommerville 81.5cm Patch Leipst, 3 J. Papworth 4.06kg 3 H. Dickson 78cm, 4 B. Morris 4.05kg 4 S. Harvey 77.5cm, 5 K. O'Neale 3.96kg 5 L. O'Neale 76cm.
Pig Carrying Competition: 6 years and under 7 — 11 years: 1 M. Morris 33.38s 1 S. Spain 26.4s, 2 A. Charmley 34.53s 2 O. Percy 28.69s, 3 R. Sherwood 35.17s 3 Storm 30.60s. 12 -16yrs Women: 1 M. Papworth 30.32s C. Hoggard 40.0s, 2 J. Craft — Chemis 31.42s. Men 3 M. Prendergast 32.63s Epeli 26.12s.
Is this the role that every other NZ town and city should consider?