Image: Three regional champions (from left): Lydia Hill, Georgia Lyford, and Tanya Claxton.
This year’s national excavator competition marked the 31st anniversary of the excavator ‘Battle Royale’ and broke new ground with three female regional champions: Georgia Lyford from Canterbury Westland, Lydia Hill from Nelson Marlborough and Tanya Claxton from Hawke’s Bay East Coast – competing in the national finals for the first time in the competition’s history.
“It’s amazing to think our competition has not had a female finalist in its 31-year history, so to have three women amongst the 12 regional winners this year is a proud moment and really shows the changing face of the industry,” says CCNZ Chief Alan Pollard.
At 23 years old, Georgia from Schick Civil Construction in Christchurch, was the youngest of the trio. She dedicated her qualifying win in Canterbury Westland’s regional event to other young women.
Blenheim-based Lydia Hill, who learnt how to operate excavators on her family’s farm when she was 14 years old, had honed her skills on large projects in her region – like the new Whale Trail from Picton to Kaikoura. Lydia works for Elite Excavations and qualified by winning the Nelson Marlborough leg of the competition. She said it was “mind-boggling” that women had never competed at the nationals before.
Waipukurau local, Tanya Claxton, currently works as a foreperson for Higgins, and took out the Hawke’s Bay East Coast competition. “I don’t think it matters whether you’re male or female, it depends on your attitude, personality and your work ethic,” she says. “If you want to do it just do it – women can do anything.”