One two finish for Carterton fire crews

Carterton firefighters proved their mettle as national reigning champions and took all the honours at the Wairarapa Waterway Competition Championships held in the town on Saturday.

Carterton fire chief Wayne Robinson said the contest had also included the Martin Shield Competition featuring 10 teams from throughout the Greater Wellington region, including squads from Wairoa, Havelock North, Heretaunga rural, Feilding, and Tawa.

In the grand slam result for Carterton firefighters, the A team won the Martin Shield and the Wairarapa championships with six firsts, while the B Team took second place in the championships with three firsts and second place in the Martin Shield contest.

Mr Robinson said the Carterton Red two-person team won the Wairarapa championships in that division, and the Blue team took second place in the Wairarapa two-person championships and third place in the Martin Shield contest.

He and fellow A Team member Blaine Smith had struggled against injury during the contest on Saturday.

B team member Joe Richardson had joined the pair and Vaea Peterson and Mike Hicks in the winning squad, Mr Robinson said.

He said it was a first Wairarapa 'gold' medal for Mr Richardson, and for Red team members Stephen Fennell and Fraser Smith and each of the Carterton squad members had deserved the honours they won.

Mr Robinson said Carterton firefighters have been national waterway champions since 2007 and were now targeting the 2013 UFBA National Waterway Challenge being held in Cromwell from March 14-16.

"We got through in the end on Saturday. It was a good day and hopefully we'll get the injuries sorted in time to bring back the big one [trophy] again from Cromwell," he said.

Carterton last successfully defended their title in November 2011 when the volunteer brigade hosted the UFBA National Waterway Challenge at home that year.