By Paul Dunlop
LACHIE Macdonald and Tracey Miller were a dynamic duo at the Pakenham Show.
The Tooradin couple were the prizewinning gumboot throwers and also performed strongly in the Ironman competitions, with Lachie finishing runnerup in the men’s event and Tracey making the top six in the women’s section.
Tracey also won several awards for her entries in the floral section at the pavilion and sixyearold Taylah Macdonald won a showgirl competition in her age group.
The couple and their children had a big day out at the show.
Tracey said her win in the gumboot toss came despite hurting her arm during an impromptu practice session the day before the show.
Lachie sealed his victory in the gumboot toss with a throw of over 30 metres, sending the judges scurrying for the record books.
Youth overcame experience in the Ironman competition with 18yearold Adam Buchan of Pakenham scoring his first victory in the event.
Adam said he had not trained specifically for the multifaceted challenge, which saw competitors tossing a sheaf, lugging a bag of seed in a wheelbarrow and finally sprinting for the line, but had set himself for the contest.
“I was always going in it. I’ve been in it before but this is the first time I’ve won,” he said after the entertaining event.
The women’s section was hotly contested with the winner Emma Johnson also 18 years old.
Emma said it was “a bit of fun” and further proved her strength by hoisting younger sister Tegan (7) into her arms during the celebrations.
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