Fight erupts during lawnmower race

Published Jan. 17, 2011 6:37 a.m. ET

foxsports

A lawnmower race in New Zealand erupted into a fight after one competitor rammed their ride-on mower into the side of another, The Southland Times reported Monday.

The incident happened in front of hundreds of spectators Saturday at a country fair, near Queenstown on the South Island, with stunned witnesses initially thinking the brawl was all part of the production.

"At first everyone thought it was a stunt or something that was being staged," one spectator said.

"The race was over and a guy on quite a large machine shunted a guy on a smaller machine sideways.

"The guy on the smaller machine climbed up on to the bigger machine while it was still being shunted and started throwing punches.

"It was lucky the guys involved were wearing helmets."

The two men involved were believed to be a lawnmower dealer from Alexandra and a lawnmowing contractor from Queenstown, who had a personal feud.

Although captured in a series of photographs, the incident was not officially brought to the attention of police.

Read more and see photos at the Southland Times