Island Life Magazine Ltd April / May 2016 | Page 71

COUNTRY LIFE

Isle of Wight

Hedgelaying Competition
2016

H

eld for the second year
running at Parkdown Barns,
Calbourne, by kind permission
of Mike and Jenny Morris, a dry but
cold day saw the Island hedgelayers,
not only compete against each
other, but also alongside a number
of mainland opposition in this years
annual hedgelaying competition.
Judges, Richard Grogan of The
Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Wildlife Trust, Alan Ashby, a National
Champion and Peter Tunks a former
Supreme National Champion, both
from Kent, are now as much a feature
of the competition as the hedge it’s
self, with Alan laying a demonstration
pitch to show case his talent and give
an indication of what the judges are
looking for.
Mainland competitors took the two

top spots with David Dunk winner
of the ‘AONB Open Title’ by one
point from Russell Woodham. Oz
Hoskyns the best Islander coming
third. Richard Knowles, triumphed
in the Novice section, winning The
Mary Sitch Cup. And The Island
Ploughmen, father and son Rob and
George Richards and Paul Trickett,
retaining the Landscape Therapy
Team Trophy.
The results and prize giving
ceremony was carried out by joint
organisers Tony Ridd of Landscape
Therapy and Matthew Chatfield
from Natural Enterprise, with Peter
Fellows (AONB Partnership) and Mary
Sitch presenting their cups. Every
competitor receives a prize and a
round of applause. Visit www.iwhg.org
for more on hedgelaying.

AONB Open Cup
1st David Dunk,
2nd Russell Wood,
3rd Oz Hoskyns
Mary Sitch Novice Cup
1st Richard Knowles
Landscape Therapy Team Trophy
1st IW Ploughmen,
2nd Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Wildlife Trust 2,
3rd Murphys Tree Fellas
W Hurst & Son Cup – Best Layed
Hedge Using Only Hand Tools
David Dunk
Peter Tunks Award for Best Stakes
and Binders
David Dunk

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