Ride-on mower veteran cuts down rivals at Strath Taieri Show

Macraes Moonlight farmer Tom McCone. Photo / Alice Scott

She's an oldie but a goodie.

This year was Macraes Moonlight farmer Tom McCone's "sixth or seventh" time racing his Greenfield ride-on lawnmower in the Angus McCutcheon memorial lawnmower race at Strath Taieri's A&P Show on Sunday and he snaffled the win easily.

The mower, which no longer has any grass cutting facilities, was purchased from Timaru by McCone and fellow Macraes farmer Kent Tisdall with full intentions to "pimp it up" with a 250cc Kawasaki motor to take part in the annual competition.

The duo has enjoyed tinkering with the machine over the years to improve its throttle capabilities and McCone said not a lot needed to be done this year to prepare it for its one big day of the year but "working on the mower" was good code for enjoying a quiet beverage on a warm summer's evening.

The mower had reached a top speed of about 50kmh in an "undisclosed location" in the lead up to the race and McCone said he had not had any incidents ... "not yet anyway".

Tom McCone won the Strath Taieri A&P Show's Angus McCutcheon memorial lawn mower race with his Greenfield ride-on mower. Photo / Alice Scott

Sunday's race was hotly contested and three other extremely fast mowers were entered in the race but McCone's race experience and superior handling skills secured the win in the end.

Enjoying all the fun of the fair are (from left) Lexie Taylor (8), Isla Peddie (11), Isabel Bankshaw(5), Georgia Bankshaw (10), Brooke Atkinson (10) and Annabelle Scott (8). Photo / Alice Scott

The show's organisers were "thrilled" with the crowd turn out of about 500.

Show secretary Michelle Tisdall said it was the biggest crowd the event had seen in a long time.

"We changed the date this year so people could make the most of a long weekend here in Middlemarch."

Husband and wife Willy and Emily Jones line up at the start line of the spouse carrying competition. Photo / Alice Scott

After having to cancel the show less than a week out last year due to Covid-19 Tisdall was "relieved" to see it happen this year.

"Relieved and exhausted," she said.