In a statement, the pair said, “what began as a carefully planned campaign has turned into a shipping shambles“.
“The sailing was delayed leaving port, with the arrival date first pushed to 24 July.
Mark Dillon (centre) and Malcolm Taylor (left) are in limbo with their gear stuck at sea less than two months before the World Ploughing Championships in Croatia.
“Then, on 16 June, when Sonia [Dillon’s wife] asked for tracking information, she was told the container was still in Wellington – a surprise, to put it mildly – while Oceanbridge continued to advise that delivery was still expected around 25 July.”
On Sunday, Sonia checked on the ship’s location and found the vessel off the coast of Tasmania.
Seeking an update on the ETA, they learned the container was returning to New Zealand and would not reach its intended destination until August 24.
“For most travellers, a detour might mean a missed connection,” they wrote.
“For a world championship ploughing team, it means two tractors, two ploughs, tools, parts and uniforms are in the wrong ocean at exactly the wrong time.”
Dillon, the five-time New Zealand champion, told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast the container had supposedly missed a ship in Sydney or been loaded onto the the wrong outfit, so “they’ve decided to send it home” rather than on to Croatia.
“We’re just hoping that we can pull a magic rabbit out of our hat and someone can come on board and give us a hand, but it’s not looking real promising at the moment.”
The pair hoped to get their tractors, ploughs, tools, parts and uniforms to Croatia weeks in advance of the championships.
Dillon and Taylor had booked accommodation and were due to arrive in Croatia in early August, having planned to set up onsite to unload, clean and prep their gear, begin practice and familiarise themselves with the local conditions.
“That early preparation is a key part of New Zealand’s approach, giving competitors time to understand the soil, test their equipment and build relationships ahead of the event.”
The pair said they were now “scrambling” to turn their fortunes around, including liaising with Oceanbridge about whether their uniforms, parts and tools could be recovered from the ship while borrowing the remaining equipment, but other concerns persist.
The shipping line had “effectively shrugged off the issue and failed to make timely contact with its agents”, they said, adding that communicating earlier would have left more options to “recover the situation”.
“Borrowing gear may sound simple from a distance, but at this level it is far from ideal.
“No top rower would turn up to a world championship, jump into a borrowed boat and expect to produce their best.
“Precision equipment matters, and so does the time to set it up.”
The issue was made more pressing by the fact that Mark and Sonia Dillon were working to bring the World Ploughing Championships to New Zealand in 2029.
Mark and Sonia Dillon with their tractor and plough in Prague, the Czech Republic.
“While in Croatia, they were due to help showcase New Zealand and build confidence among international competitors considering the long and costly trip here,” the pair wrote.
“That job becomes much harder when New Zealand’s own team cannot get its equipment from New Zealand to Europe.
“If 24 predominantly European countries are expected to spend tens of thousands of dollars sending machinery to New Zealand in 2029, this year’s experience does little to inspire confidence.”
With the prospect of arriving at the world championship without their own equipment, Dillon and Taylor, the New Zealand Ploughing Team’s sponsors and the New Zealand Ploughing Association were now facing “significant financial and emotional losses”.
“It is a deeply frustrating situation for a team that has done everything right: qualified on merit, planned early, booked ahead and allowed for delays.
“Unfortunately, the container seems to have taken the scenic route – and New Zealand’s world championship hopes may be paying the price.”
Oceanbridge has been approached for comment.
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