The Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards made history tonight, celebrating not only the nation’s finest rural athletes but also the launch of the New Zealand Rural Sports Hall of Fame and the presentation of the inaugural Hydroflow Contribution to Rural Mental Health Award.
Held as the centrepiece of the Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards at Awapuni Racecourse, the evening honoured athletes whose 2025 campaigns conquered world stages – from the timber sports arenas of Milan to the treetops of Christchurch and the steeplechase tracks of Tokyo.
Convenor of Judges Paul Allison MNZM described the evening as a watershed moment for rural sport.
“Tonight, we didn’t just award titles; we built a legacy. The calibre of achievement in this room was staggering, world champions, record-breakers, and pioneers who have not only dominated their disciplines but elevated them. To announce our first Hall of Fame inductee and our first Mental Health Award recipient alongside winners of such calibre is a profound privilege,” said Allison.
Matthew Slade, Marketing Managing of Ford New Zealand, reflected on the athletic excellence and momentum driving rural sport.
“Tonight, we witnessed the incredible heart and soul of rural communities celebrated on one stage. For Ford, supporting these awards is about more than the world-class athleticism on display, though that is truly inspiring. It’s about honouring the grit, determination, and shared spirit that connects our brand to the people who power rural New Zealand. We are incredibly proud to stand with these athletes, their families, and the communities that shape them.”
Ford New Zealand Supreme Rural Sports Award and PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year:
Jack Jordan – Wood Chopping (Taumarunui)
Jack Jordan was crowned the Supreme Rural Sports Award winner for the second time, adding to his 2025 PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year title. The 29-year-old made history this year as the first competitor ever to simultaneously hold both the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Individual World Championship and the Individual World Trophy. His near-perfect performance in Milan, which included a New Zealand record in the Single Saw, cements his status as the sport’s reigning global king. First representing New Zealand at age 14, Jordan’s career is defined by sustained excellence and an unparalleled global record.
RX Plastics New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year:
Steph Dryfhout – Tree Climbing (Bay of Plenty)
Steph Dryfhout successfully defended her 2025 title, capping a historic season that saw her become Women’s World Champion at the International Tree Climbing Championships in Christchurch. Dryfhout also claimed the Asia-Pacific Championship and retained her New Zealand National Champion title with the highest overall score across both male and female competitors. Beyond her competitive dominance, Dryfhout was recognised for her mentorship and advocacy through the Women in Trees movement, cementing her legacy as both a champion and an ambassador for the sport.
Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year:
Wilson House – Harness Racing (Canterbury)
At just 21, Wilson House has driven his way to the top of New Zealand harness racing, winning the New Zealand Junior Drivers Premiership with 94 wins and breaking the $1 million prize money barrier. He also finished third overall in the open National Drivers’ Premiership, an extraordinary feat in only his fifth season driving. After representing New Zealand at the Australasian Young Drivers Championship, House’s work ethic, maturity, and elite driving talent mark him as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
NZ Rural Sports Hall of Fame – Inaugural Inductee and Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy Award Recipient:
John Fagan – Fencing and Shearing (Te Kuiti / Waihi Beach)
John Fagan became the first inductee into the New Zealand Rural Sports Hall of Fame, an honour accompanied by the Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy Award. A Golden Shears champion, 91-time Open shearing winner, and former world record holder, Fagan’s competitive career is legendary. However, it is his work as an administrator and innovator that secures his place in history, having co-founded the NZ Shearing Championships and the globally recognised “Running of the Sheep.” Honoured with an MBE, Fagan’s half-century of service has indelibly shaped New Zealand’s rural sporting identity.
Also receiving the Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy Award:
Barry Purdon – Harness Racing
New Zealand’s most successful harness racing trainer, with 2,791 wins, Barry Purdon was celebrated for a career spanning more than five decades. His 18 training premierships and four New Zealand Cup wins are matched only by his influence as a mentor to generations of drivers. His 2025 return to race driving following major hip surgery was met with a standing ovation, a testament to the respect he commands across the sporting landscape.
Hydroflow Contribution to Rural Mental Health Award (inaugural award):
Kathryn Wright – Rural Mental Health Advocacy and Research
Kathryn Wright is the inaugural recipient of the Hydroflow Contribution to Rural Mental Health Award—a recognition of more than a decade of pioneering work. An experienced farmer and registered counsellor, Wright’s master’s research into why young rural men suffer in silence has directly informed coronial findings and national policy. Her current PhD examines how land-use changes impact community well-being, work expected to shape future policy. Tonight’s award marks a historic moment, placing mental health contribution on equal footing with competitive achievement, and Wright’s profound commitment makes her a most deserving recipient.
SportsInc Outstanding Contribution to NZ Rural Sports Recipients:
- Debbie White – Fencing (NZ Fencing Competitions): For over a decade, Debbie White has been the strategic force behind the globalisation of competitive fencing in New Zealand. She conceptualised the vision for a World Fencing Championship at Fieldays and forged international exchange programmes, allowing winners of the Fieldays Silver Spades to compete overseas. Her logistical mastery and relationship-building have elevated New Zealand fencing onto the world stage, creating pathways for local competitors that simply did not exist before.
- Pat Coogan – Sheep Dog Trials: Pat Coogan’s 50-year legacy of leadership in sheep dog trialling culminated in 2025 with Life Membership of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association. A transformative seven-term National President, he oversaw administrative restructuring and digitised the Stud Register, securing the sport’s future. At home, his decades of organising championships, mentoring handlers, and serving as a Rural Games judge have strengthened the sport’s foundations. The respected “one-eyed ref” embodies the integrity and rural spirit he serves.
- Paul Harris – Shearing (Amberley): For over 50 years, Paul Harris has been a cornerstone of New Zealand shearing sports. In 2025, he chaired the critical Shearing Sports New Zealand constitutional review and received a King’s Service Medal. He serves as Chair of the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, a role built on 17 years judging record attempts across three countries. Now 69, his focus remains on promoting young talent and serving the community, which has also benefited from his 50-year career in the fire service.
Permobil New Zealand Rural Sportsperson with a Disability Award:
Danielle Aitchison – Para Athletics (Patetonga / Hamilton)
Waikato sprinter Danielle Aitchison, raised on a dairy farm, was honoured for her extraordinary 2025 season. Competing in the T36 classification, Aitchison achieved the sprint double at the World Para Athletics Championships, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m. The world record holder for the 200m T36 event has now medalled at every major championship since her international debut in 2019, and her journey embodies the resilience and excellence of rural New Zealand.
Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award for Outstanding Sportsperson from a Rural Background (supported by Higgins Concrete):
Geordie Beamish – Middle- and Long-Distance Running (Whanganui / Hawke’s Bay)
Geordie Beamish’s parents received the Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award following his 2025 campaign that delivered New Zealand’s first-ever track gold medal at a World Athletics Championships. Raised on farms in Whanganui and Hawke’s Bay, Beamish produced one of the great upsets in global athletics, winning the 3000m steeplechase in Tokyo. His victory, added to his 2024 World Indoor 1500m title, cements his status as one of New Zealand’s most tenacious and decorated runners.
