Don Dingle still going strongly 50 years on

DON Dingle is one of the patriarchs of the family which has put Mt Perry on the world woodchopping stage and he just loves the sport.

Don Dingle relaxes with fellow Mt Perry axemen Bryan and Craig Wagner.

by Vince Habermann DON Dingle is one of the patriarchs of the family which has put Mt Perry on the world woodchopping stage and he just loves the sport.

At the age of 70, he still swings the axe, and yesterday, he brought up his golden anniversary as a Bundaberg Regional Show competitor.

"I've been chopping here for 50 years and I don't think I've missed one show,'' Dingle said.

Two of his three brothers are also still active in the sport - Harvey and Arthur - but they did not line up yesterday.

Dingle said he "chopped pretty well'', finishing second in the veterans' over 60 years event to Phil Hillcoat and third in the C grade championship and also winning "a couple of other heats''.

"But I was a bit tired - I've done a fair bit of station work in the last few weeks and I was a bit stiff today, but I won a few events in Maryborough last week,'' he said.

One of Dingle's sons, Rodney, also did well, including finishing second in the A grade championship to Peter Whitehouse, of Gayndah.

"Rodney's three sons, Jake, Westen and Dusten also love chopping, but they also did not compete, but will do so at Gin Gin on the weekend,'' he said.

Dingle plans to keep chopping "as long as I can still get around''.

"There's still places where they can drag the wheelchair in - it's not about winning any more - it's about being there among the family of axemen.

"We had 16 competitors from as far south as Ipswich and as far north as Mackay, but I'd like to see more axemen turn up, but the show is midweek and it's pretty hard for the young fellas to get the day off work to compete.''

But Dingle has been heartened by the performances up to international level of several district young guns, including Bryan Wagner, who is reigning junior champion at the Royal Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide shows and looks set to continue a proud Mt Perry tradition in the sport for years to come.

Yesterday, Wagner was runner-up in the underhand and placed third in the A grade championship.

"Bryan cut all right, especially for a 16-year-old,'' Dingle said.

A Gin Gin State High School Year 12 student, Wagner said he was "hardly ever there'' due to his woodchopping commitments, but that it was a sport he wanted to pursue.

Wagner's father Craig, also a highly performed axemen, also competed, but said his main focus of the day was in his position as program co-ordinator.

"You can't chop and do the books - you can't get the best out of yourself and I just had a day out and enjoyed myself,'' Craig Wagner said.

Another up-and-comer, who also hails from Mt Perry and did well, was David Russell, who took out the 11-inch underhand event.

Originally published as Don Dingle still going strongly 50 years on