What is a fencing competition?

To those in the know, a fencing competition involves eight to ten contractors running up and down a rural paddock carrying post-hole-borers, strainers and WIREMARK® fencing wire. The objective of these rural athletes is to erect a faultless fence line in the least amount of time possible.

Fencing competitions are a big deal to those involved. Regional competitions are held throughout the country with singles and doubles finals held at the Mystery Creek National Fieldays every year. With multiple world champions among the ranks, the New Zealand fencing community is among the best in the world.

Competitions are scored on a demerits system with points lost for a range of technical and quality aspects, from strainer post depth and batten spacing to wire tension and knot consistency. Additional demerits for tidiness and safety infringements can also be incurred and time penalties are added for every minute after the first competitor finishes their line.

The penalty points make for a tightly run competition with final placings often decided by decimal point differentials over what can often be an eight-hour competition.

The fencing competition calendar, which starts in early January and culminates in the final events in June at Fieldays, showcases the best fencers in the country battling head on to produce some pretty spectacular results. 

How can I get involved?

Competing with the best fencers in the world can be a daunting prospect to most, but getting started in competitive fencing is something that few competitors ever regret.

Fencers that have been involved in competition will tell you there is no better way to learn techniques, tips, and trade proven practices than by testing your skills against those in the know. For many years fencing competitions have enabled young and old to learn from the best in a competition setting while proving themselves in the process.  

With regional competitions throughout the country, WIREMARK® and New Zealand Fencing Competitions (NZFC) encourage any competitor, young and old, to give it a go and try their hand at competitive fencing; we're sure you'll never look back.

For more information on how you can start competing, contact NZFC today.