The Golden Plough will be held in Peak Hill from 31 May to 1 June and Western Branch president of the Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Association Aleks Berzins says it is the best thing you could do on a weekend. The Golden Plough is fast becoming Australia's most prestigious single furrow competition and will be held in Peak Hill this year and next year where the competition will celebrate its 50th year. "The Golden Plough is the one you want to win for a ploughmen with horses," Aleks said. The competition is moved around throughout NSW spending a couple of years in the same area. In recent years the competition has been held in Eugowra, Lyndhurst, Blayney and Wongarbon where it drew over 800 ploughmen and women across Australia. Over the two days multiple competitions will be held. On Saturday, 31 May the ladies, junior, novice and veterans plough will be held. Also on Saturday there will be long reigning, wagon team rides, farmers challenge, Australian draught horse talk, horse work demonstration, pairs and single log snig and the junior challenge. On Sunday, 1 June the Golden Plough will be held. As well as being Western branch president, Aleks is also a competitor and won the Golden Plough last year on his fifth attempt at the the title in Lyndhurst. "My grandfather was a horsemen and ploughed and farmed with horses so I was brought up into it. "I was a little bit stuck so I travelled to the event (The Golden Plough) as a kid and watched lots of Golden Ploughs as a young bloke and have just always been in awe of it so I really enjoy the opportunity to now compete in it." The competition honours a skill which is now done in a different format with tractors and pays tribute to the past. "In the past competitions and ploughing started not so much where were doing it as a passion for the people that are still doing it but it was people actually working with their horses and it was a bit like saying my tractor is stronger than your tractor. "These guys originally competed at their local shows as a way of comparing the hours, the work and the skills as horsemen and ploughmen." Make sure to travel out to the Peak Hill Showground to see the best horsemen skills in Australia. It is $15 gate entry which covers both days of the event and Aleks says it is definitely worth coming and having a look. "I think it's a really good thing to see how the horses and the owners respond with each other. "It's nice to see something which you probably can't get the opportunity to watch live and it sort of brings a black and white photo to life," Aleks added.
