2023 Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships, Adam Gilbert, John Arrate, Tony Felesina, Stuart Gilbert

The 2023 Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships has been cut, looped and loaded. See the winners list here.

When you show up to win the Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships - don’t wear your best clothes.

This fact was obvious as the winners collected their trophies covered in ash, mud, grime and plenty of sweat.

Mareeba’s own banana farmer Adam Gilbert won the grand championship title against his own flesh and blood.

Mr Gilbert completed his cutting in 23 minutes, 10 seconds.

His brother Stuart Gilbert from Tully came in second with a three minute difference.

Winner of the Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships 2023 Adam Gilbert (right) presented by CANEGROWERS chairman Owen Menkens.

Enzo Codega was the only one to challenge the banana farmers - and also the only one over 55 to place in the championship final - but his time of 28 minutes, nine seconds shows how quick the Gilberts were.

So it was no surprise when the Gilbert clan (Adam, Stuart, Angus and Keith) won the cut, top and load relay too.

Local cane farmer John Arrate won the 55 years and over category, while Burdekin cane farmer and bricklayer Tony Felesina took out the 35 - 55 age bracket.

Jeffrey Bradshaw from Mackay, a five times cane cutting champion, with 90-year-old cane cutter Olivio Pozzebon. Mr Bradshaw came third in the 55 years+ category, cutting four drills of cane (each 15 metres long) in 19 minutes, 10 seconds.

The competition was incredibly close among the 35 - 55 year olds, with the winner Mr Felesina, second place Jeff Ellwood, third place Mark Vass and fourth place Adam Gilbert (the eventual championship winner) all finishing within three minutes of each other.

In the young gun category (under 35) Stuart Gilbert won with a time of 17 minutes, 12 seconds, leaving everyone else in the dust.

The ladies cup was won by Home Hill grandmother Rhonda McBow who finished her cut in six minutes, 29 seconds.

She was closely followed by Nikki Vass (of the Vass clan) who achieved six minutes, 49 seconds.

The novice ladies cup also showed some exciting promise alongside some genuinely back breaking work, Mackay-based business manager Traci Ellwood winning the novice cup with a 10 minute, 22 second cut.

Full winners list:

55 years and over age category by Liquaforce (four drills of cane, each 15m long)

1st- John Arrate – 14.03min

2nd- Enzo Codega – 16.16min

3rd- Jeff Bradshaw – 19.10min

4th- William Matthews – 28.30min

35 years to 55 years age category presented by Ag-Spread North Queensland (four drills of cane, each 15m long)

1st - Tony Felesina – 15.00min

2nd - Jeff Ellwood – 16.58min

3rd - Mark Vass – 17.20min

4th - Adam Gilbert - 17.36min

5th – Karl Vass – 18.23min

6th – Grant Matthews – 22.11min

7th – Patrick Putman – 26.57min (special mention)

Under 35 years age category presented by North Queensland Hardfacing (four drills of cane, each 15m long)

1st - Stuart Gilbert – 17.13min

2nd - Angus Gilbert – 23.20min

3rd - Karl Altmann – 26.40min

4th - Keith Gilbert – 26.42min

5th – Dave Fowler – 29.16min

6th – Chris Vass – 31.38min

7th – Aaron Bathis – 36.17min

8th – Dylan Carew – 37.08min

9th – Trent Higgs – 38.45min

Ladies Cup sponsored by Women in Sugar (three drills of cane, each seven metres long)

1st – Rhonda McBow – 6.29min

2nd – Nikki Vass – 6.49min

3rd – Sue King – 7.02min

4th – Rosie McLean – 9.29min

5th – Elena Mason – 10.31min

Novice Ladies sponsored by Lillie’s Cubby House (three drills of cane, each seven metres long)

1st – Traci Ellwood – 10.22min

2nd – Sandi Burt – 16.30min

3rd – Nicole Fox – 18.27min

Pacific Hydro Corporate Challenge sponsored by Tracpower NQ and Kubota Australia (four person teams: four drills of cane, each 15m long)

1st – Next Gen Renewables – 16.13min

2nd – Mt Alma Organics – 26.20min

3rd – ANZ – 28.40min

Swindley Memorial cut, loop and load relay held in honour of Kevin Swindley and sponsored by RK Farming (four person team: six drills of cane, each 15m long)

1st – Adam Gilbert, Stuart Gilbert, Angus Gilbert, Keith Gilbert – 20.41min

2nd – Enzo Codega, Patrick Putman, Karl Altmann, Jeff Alwood – 27.08min

3rd – Tony Felesina, Aaron Bathis, Trent Higgs, Dylan Carew – 32.12min

4th – Karl Vass, Mark Vass, Chris Vass, John Arrate – 33.17min

Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships Final sponsored by Canegrowers Burdekin (four drills of cane, each 25m long)

1st – Adam Gilbert – 23.10min

2nd – Stuart Gilbert – 26.17min

3rd – Enzo Codega – 28.09min

4th – Jeff Elwood – 28.25min

5th – Mark Vass – 28.31min

6th – Tony Felesina – 29.55min

7th – John Arrate – 32.19min

8th – Karl Vass – 34.08min

Originally published as 2023 Australian Hand Cane Cutting Championships, Adam Gilbert, John Arrate, Tony Felesina, Stuart Gilbert