Fencing Champion Tony Bouskill Reclaims Top Spot

12 June 2026

FENCING CHAMPION TONY BOUSKILL RECLAIMS TOP SPOT 

New Zealand’s top fencers brought sharp focus and grit to Fieldays, demonstrating their skills with the ever-reliable number 8 wire.

The NZ Fencing Competitions (NZFC), organisers of the Fieldays Fencing Competitions, said this year’s event was highly competitive and showcased the growing strength of the fencing community, with nine new entrants competing in the heats and the first female competitor since the 1980s, Tiffany Garrick.

Tony Bouskill came out on top in the prestigious Golden Pliers® by WIREMARK® Championship final, with judges also awarding him Best Quality, for producing the highest standard of workmanship, precision, and finish under intense competition conditions.  

The competition is judged on a combination of speed, quality, and the overall strength and durability of the finished fence, with the “first off the line” component highlighting how quickly a competitor can complete their work without compromising standards, all assessed by a team of 15 volunteer judges.  

Bouskill  also took out the Fieldays® Silver Spades™ Doubles Championship with his father Shane Bouskill. The pair will head to the Tornado Wire Fencing Competition at the NSA Sheep Event in July in the United Kingdom.  

The Bill Schuler competition, established in memory of the late Bill Schuler to support newer and developing fencers, was won by Kupu Lloyd.  

NZFC was formed in 2013 as a committee committed to promoting and governing fencing competitions in New Zealand.

The 2026 winners and finalists for this year’s competitions are:

Golden Pliers® Singles Championship by WIREMARK®  
1st  Tony Bouskill  
2nd Tim Stafford  
3rd  Jeff Joines  
4th  Shay Robertson  
5th  Tim Garrick  
6th  Cory Twigley  
7th  Tom Kerley  
8th  Micheal Trott  

Best Quality – Tony Bouskill  

Nick Liefting First off the line trophy – Tim Garrick

Fieldays® Silver Spades™ Doubles Championship  
1st   Shane Bouskill & Tony Bouskill   
2nd  Jeff Joines & Wilton Weeks  
3rd  Shay Robertson & Jared Nicholson  
4th  Tim Garrick & Cory Twigley  
5th  Tom Kerley & Logan Orsler  
6th  Craig Sinclair & Kyle Perrin (South Island Team)  
7th Ed Struna & Dylan Herndon (US Team)  
8th  Jade Williams & Sander Visser

Bill Schuler Competition 
1st  Kupu Lloyd  
2nd  Craig Sinclair  
3rd  Sander Visser  
4th  Troy Brooky  
5th  Logan Orsler  
6th  Angus Bryce

Best first year – Logan Orsler

Best second year – David Swansson

Fieldays Silver Staples cadet competition
1st Smedley Station 2, Noah Glasgow and Mark Chambers 
2nd Pukemiro Station 2, Riley Priest and Luck Smillie 
3rd Geraldine High School 2, Tom Lamb and Milly Chapman 
4th Geraldine High School 1, Harry O'Connell and Angus Leary 
5th Pukemiro Station 1, Sophie Chandler and Tom Robinson 
6th Smedley Station 1, Tayla Fleming and Jack Laugesen