Couples came from far and wide to contest Singleton Show’s flagship event – the Australian Wife Carrying Titles.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On the weekend a field of 14 teams from throughout the State came to compete, and watch, as Bellingen husband and wife Adrian and Amanda Betts claimed the gold with a time of 1:03:96.
Hot on their heels through the 250 metre obstacle course were Singleton’s Luke Wise and Candice Cameron. Newcastle’s Megan McAuslan and Ryhan Bassett took third.
The fun began for Adrian and Amanda after they took first prize in the Bellingen Show’s Wife Carrying competition and the weekend’s win means they prgress through to the World Wife Carrying Titles in Finland next July.
“We entered the Bellingen wife carry event as a bit of fun and we like a good physical challenge,” Adrian said.
“We also heard that the prize was to represent Bellingen at the Australian titles in Singleton. So having just moved to the area and loving it, we were stoked to have won; then to have the chance to represent the place we've come to love – well that’s great.
“The day (in Singleton) was so much fun and a real highlight was meeting all the other competitors, they were so friendly and supportive.
“We were pretty nervous all day as the competition looked very tough.
“During the race all i could think of was ‘why am i going so slow’. I felt I was running slow!
“Anyway, the win was amazing and having to win it for Bellingen was fantastic. “Getting the chance to represent Australia in Finland is epic. I would love to bring the world title home as I'm pretty sure it has never been done.
“We plan on getting pretty serious and training hard ... to also win all that beer!”
Australian Wife Carrying Titles organiser Kath Farthing said the Singleton Show is credited as the birthplace of Australia’s wife-carrying, but it’s quickly being adopted by other regional shows.
“To be champion you need a good sense of fun, you need muscles, balance, agility and speed,” she said.
OAK Australian Wife Carrying Titles
What is Wife Carrying?
Wife Carrying is actually very much like it sounds! Men carrying wives (or girlfriends, sisters, cousins or friends!!) through an obstacle course that includes sand, water and fences. The team with the fastest time through the obstacle course wins.
History
Originating in Finland, the act of Wife Carrying is based around the 19th century legend “Ronkainen the Robber”. There are three stories as to how the sport was developed. Firstly, Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from local villages carrying the women away on their backs. Secondly, the men would go to surrounding villages to steal the wives of other men and later become their wives. Finally, Ronkainen trained his thieves to become successful and skilful for their missions by requiring them to practice carrying large heavy sacks on their backs.
The first modern day wife carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 with foreign contestants entering in 1995. The Wife Carrying World Championships are now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland.
Australian History
Singleton commenced hosting the OAK Australian Wife Carrying Titles in 2005. Since then, the event has grown to become a major highlight of the event calendar for the Hunter. Teams enter the event from all over Australia, including Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Goulburn, Tamworth, Central Coast, Merriwa, Muswellbrook, Stroud, Hawkesbury, Moss Vale, Gunnedah, Lake Macquarie, Templestow (Vic), Cairns, Maitland and of course, Singleton. In the past 10 years, over 130 couples have entered the competition. Eight couples have made the trip over to Finland to represent Australia—and have had a fantastic experience in the process.