The Lions roar in the north

2 Minutes•By NZ Trucking magazine•April 8, 2018

After initial trepidation, it came right on the day, and competitors, public, and weather all had a part to play.

Bruce Wilson, coordinator of the third annual Wellsford Lions Roaring Truck Show looked on in dismay as unrelenting rain in the north threatened to turn his Centennial Park venue into a bog.

He needn‘t have worried: the mid- February Sunday sun gleamed like the trucks that turned up from the north and south – one from as far south as Nelson.

There were 57 in total, all vying for the usual potpourri of prizes, including the coveted Best in Show.

Bruce says the numbers were slightly down on the previous show, something he attributes mainly to uncertainty surrounding the weather. Nevertheless, those that came were immaculate and the quality of the line-up, in the words of the judges, “more than compensated for the quantity”.

But it wasn‘t just the trucks. Live entertainment was provided by local band Whiskey in the Jar. Members of the Wellsford Volunteer Fire Brigade weighed in with a display. And the ever-popular Lions Food Tent kept competitors and visitors fed and watered throughout the day.

But when it came down to the business end – the judging – the public and official judges each had some hard choices to make.

For the public, the People‘s Choice went to ‘Magoo‘, MC & Sons‘ Kenworth T909.

For the judges, the Truck of the Show and Best Tractor Unit went to Craig Walker Building Removals‘ magnificent LoneStar International, driven by Luke Joyce.

The gold coin entry along with an auction and raffle raised $10,000 for the Warkworth Wellsford Hospice.