16 May 2025

Fieldays welcomes new sponsors to the lineup for the 2025 event 

This June, Fieldays® Tractor Pull, in association with PTS Logistics, roars back to Mystery Creek to mark a major milestone – 50 years of horsepower and crowd-thrilling competition. What began as a modest contest in 1975 with two-wheel drive tractors and manual gearboxes has become one of Fieldays' most beloved attractions, drawing crowds to catch the competition riverside. 

Among the most passionate participants is long-time competitor and organiser Daniel Reymer, who has been involved in this Fieldays competition for over a decade. For Reymer, Tractor Pull is more than a sport – it’s a family tradition. 

His father and uncles were among the early competitors in the 80s and 90s, and the Ōhaupō -based Reymer family has remained a driving force behind the event for decades. 

Dan’s father, Stephen Reymer, claimed victory in the late 1980s, and three Reymer brothers once famously swept the podium, taking home first, second, and third place. 

“These were two-wheel-drive tractors, some without cabs — it was a very different set of rules back then,” Dan says, reflecting on how the sport has evolved.

Dan has been involved since before he could legally drive, helping behind the scenes at local events. “As soon as I had my licence at 16, I entered as a competitor, and I’ve been competing ever since. I’m always trying to win it,” he says. “A lot of it comes down to luck and having the right setup on the day.”

This year, Dan is hoping his new Case IH Puma 240 might be the game-changer. “It might be the lucky charm,” he adds, after narrowly missing out on the top spot in recent years — twice placing second in the weight-adjusted category.

Stephen Reymer, Dan’s father, remains a committed volunteer, still helping out on the track by hooking up chains and lending a hand wherever needed. “It’s great to see so many familiar faces still involved,” Dan says. “A lot of them keep coming back year after year.”

The competition attracts farmers, contractors, and mechanics. For those who don’t know how the competition works, Dan explains that there are two different competitions. 

The weigh-adjusted competition sees two tractors in the outside lanes of the track in what can be described as a race between two tractors with a concrete block behind each of them. The emphasis is as much on driver skill as on the tractor's raw power.
In the weight transfer, the tractor is driven down the middle of the track, and the competitor must try to get as far as they can as weight is gradually added to the tractor-mounted sledge.

Other categories include modified tractors and tractors manufactured before 1985. Most machines are set up better for only one of the competitions, but they can compete in both, says Dan.

“The modified tractors are always a crowd favourite,” says New Zealand National Fieldays Society Venue Operations Manager Marie Rechner, who has helped coordinate the event for the past six years. “The engines roar, the smoke pours, and you’ll often see the front wheels lift right off the ground. It’s loud and the crowds line the bank; they love every second of it”. 

“We’ve come a long way from the early days, but the spirit of the event remains the same — grassroots, good-natured competition,” says Rechner. 

Thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about keeping the sport alive, this year’s event has attracted strong entry numbers. Organisers are expecting competitors from as far afield as Taranaki, Reporoa, and the South Island. 
And when it comes to rivalries? There’s no shortage of those either. “I’ve come up against my workmates and even cousins in the finals,” Dan laughs. “It gets pretty competitive out there.”

The Reymer legacy lives on — with new tractors, familiar faces, and a community committed to keeping the sport thriving.
Helping to power this year’s golden anniversary celebration is new Major Sponsor PTS Logistics, joining returning Sponsors, Corson Maize and Giltrap AgriZone. More than $5,000 in prize money is up for grabs adding to the excitement.

The riverside viewing area at Fieldays sees the return of the Little George Pop-Up Bar by Hamilton-based brewers Good George. Visitors can also dig into the hot comfort food on offer from the food truck onsite, making it a perfect spot for viewing all the action.
 
The Fieldays® Tractor Pull runs from June 11 to 14, 2025, at Mystery Creek in Hamilton, with heats taking place Wednesday through Friday. The event culminates in the grand final on Saturday, from 8 am to 1:30 pm.