FROM making floral bouquets to woodchopping might seem a strange path but it has enabled New Norfolk’s Veronica Youd to make history by becoming the first female competitor ever to reach the final of the veterans 275mm underhand woodchop at the Sydney Royal Easter Show last month.
The veterans event is open to both men and women and while she finished second last, Veronica is celebrating her ground-breaking achievement in qualifying for the final. Widely recognised as the “Wimbledon of Woodchopping”, the Royal Easter Show attracts competitors from around the world, including the United States, Canada and New Zealand.
Veronica, 65, started chopping competitively about 10 years ago, joining husband, John Youd, in a sport he has been involved in since the age of 16. The Youd family in Tasmania is a famous dynasty of woodchoppers, with several members earning world champion titles in tree-felling.
John took out fourth place in the veterans standing block 275mm chop at this year’s Royal Easter Show. “John was born into it, I married into it,” Veronica said. A late starter to the sport, she did have experience in the bush with her late father Len Blackwell, who, while not a competitive axeman, had cut wood for the Boyer mill.
Before picking up the axe competitively, Veronica spent 15 years as the local florist and wedding photographer and then branching into the tourism accommodation industry. She credits the physical work involved in running a tourism business with helping to maintain her strength and fitness and she also attends the local gym three days a week where she does headstands and handstands to build and maintain core strength and balance.
During her woodchopping career, Veronica has had only a couple of minor cuts with a cross-cut saw but she does have a secret weapon, special chain mesh socks which are now compulsory for all competitors. Veronica says the sport of woodchopping is thriving in Tasmania and interstate, and women are a strong part of it, with 30 women from around Australia taking part in the program at the Royal Easter Show as well as two from the US, three from Canada and three from New Zealand.
The Youd family chopping tradition is also continuing with John’s son, Bradley and his family who live in Canberra, recently starting to compete in the sport.
See more Derwent Valley and Central Highlands news and sport online and read our print edition every second Friday. Subscribe to our free daily news email here.
