Anne Paterson competes in the women's NZ STIHL Timbersports National Championships.
Anne Paterson competes in the women's NZ STIHL Timbersports National Championships.
The men’s and women’s defending champions from last year’s NZ STIHL Timbersports National Championships have gone “back-to-back” - winning their respective divisions again at this year’s event held over the weekend.
History was made in the women’s competition when, for the first time in any Timbersports event worldwide, the women competed across four individual disciplines instead of the usual three.
The additional, new discipline was the standing-block chop alongside the regular stock-saw, single saw and underhand-chop events.
Aussie-based Kiwi Anne Paterson led a nine-strong field to win the women’s championshipsfor the third time in a row and was proud to be part of the historic event.
“Chopping is a huge part of my life and to be able to come back home and secure this third title and be recognised in this expanded inaugural women’s event is fantastic.”
Paterson, who hails from Greymouth, left the West Coast for the Gold Coast nine years ago where she continued her passion for wood chopping, becoming one of Australia’s top axe-women in the highly competitive circuit across the Tasman, winning several state and regional titles.
Paterson placed amongst the top three competitors across all disciplines – including winning the standing-block chop - to take a comfortable victory.
Last year’s second and third-place finishers swapped positions on the podium – with Alma Wallace of Otaki taking silver from Rolleston’s Raewyn Windley.
King Country farmer, and reigning three-time world trophy champion, Jack Jordan won his fourth men’s national title, held as part of the Rural Games in Palmerston North.
Jordan and his brother Shane (who Jack beat by less than a second at last year’s nationals) were again the top two competitors going into the final hot-saw (super-powered chainsaws) event of the six overall wood-chopping and wood-sawing disciplines.
Shane ended up being disqualified in the hot-saw for cutting beyond the allowed marked area, handing the title to brother Jack who now goes on to represent New Zealand again at the STIHL Timbersports World Championships in Europe later this year.
NZ STIHL Timbersports National Championships Men’s podium. Second place went to Shane Jordan (left), winner Jack Jordan, and third place Cleveland Cherry.
“It’s a lot of pressure that comes with this single today that qualifies us to go overseas,” he said.
“If you have a bad day here it can really stuff your whole Timbersports season.
“But now this title really sets me up for the rest of the year, so I’m really looking forward to heading overseas and competing against the rest of the world.”
Tokoroa’s Cleveland Cherry – competing in his first men’s division after moving up from the rookies - finished third overall.
The rookies (under-25 year) division, was decided by a single point in the last discipline – the springboard event, between the two leading contenders Matthew Gower of Whangamōmona and Morgan Bolstad from Taumarunui.
Gower – last year’s runner-up – went one better this year to claim his first national title, beating Bolstad (second) and Stratford’s Sam Bellamy who finished third overall.
