Nick Liefting: Half a century of fencing dedication

If you’ve had anything to do with competitive fencing in New Zealand, chances are you’ll know the name Nick Liefting.

For nearly half a century, he has competed in and organised competitions around the country. His lifetime of dedication was recognised recently when he won the Lifetime Legacy Award at the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.

His impressive record includes being a two-time Silver Pliers winner, four-time Silver Spades winner, fastest singles final (three hours and five minutes), and fastest qualifying heats time (1 hour and 8 minutes). He was first off the line in the singles final 28 times, and made the singles finals 36 times and doubles finals 35 times.

The father of six – four of his own and two foster children – says he found himself in the industry “more by accident than anything else”. He grew up in the Pukekohe area and was working with a local shearer who also was also a fencer. These were the days when there was no post driver and they dug the posts in by hand. It was tough going but great for developing skills, he says.

The Liefting family

“It wasn’t good practice he was doing for sure... a part of me would probably recommend it because it’s too easy now with post driver. You’ve still got to do it from time to time, although it’s nowhere near as good as a post driver.”

That was around 45 years ago.

“I carried on and got myself a post driver.”

The early days - 1982

It wasn’t long before he heard about competitive fencing and was immediately keen.

He tried to register for the Golden Pliers at the national Fieldays, but entries had closed. Luckily a competitor pulled out and he took the space.

“I was the youngest ever competitor.”

He entered both the singles and the doubles and managed to make the final of the doubles section. By his third year he made the Golden Pliers finals.

Nick says competing had a profound impact on his fencing.

“That’s where I actually learnt to fence.”

As the years went on, the competition became more of an “institution”, he said. “People were training for it – and I probably started that. We had our own training camp. We would actually do the competition fence and then pull it down.”

He trained at the gym daily, and had a nutritionist prepare a programme for him.

2010 Golden Pliers

“It’s the old story... you can’t just bowl up and expect to do well. You’ve got to be prepared for it. It became in the category of a high-level sport. It’s extremely physical, not only brute force and ignorance; you’ve also got to use your head as well.”

In 2008 he made the finals and while he didn’t win, one of the sponsors of the world championships in Germany was tracking his work and approached him afterwards to introduce himself.

“He said it was like watching poetry in motion, you were a pleasure to watch.”

As a result, he was invited to compete in the world championships in Germany. Watched on by his eldest daughter, he won the event.

Receiving the Gold medal at the 2008 World Championships

“That was quite a buzz. They played the national anthem and presented a Gold medal. That was another trophy for the cabinet!”

Four years later he again competed in the worlds, this time competing for The Netherlands as a Dutch national, taking out the bronze medal. This time he was joined by another of his daughters that was living in London at the time.

Forty years after that first Fieldays event, he had his last run at the competition, having never missed a year.

“Basically, I’m very competitive and enjoyed the competitiveness.”

He also enjoyed the camaraderie as well.

“I cultivated many, many friendships, not only throughout New Zealand but all over the world.”

His passion has been in mentoring other young people into the industry and into competitive fencing, and has welcomed them to his training camp for coaching.

“I’ve always offered my services to anyone who wants any coaching or training.”

His main advice is to put the effort into what holds the most points and make sure that it’s done well. It also paid to have the equipment and systems in place for time saving, as you lose time penalty points after the first person is finished. Fine tuning these systems is important, he says.

He kept “racing” gear that was used only for competitions, as he knew it would not break down on him. And finally, putting your “heart and soul into it” was also key to success.

Nick was known as the “fastest fencer”, which he admits meant sacrificing a bit of quality. But his fences never fell over and always topped the tension tests.

“My ambition every year was to qualify for the Golden Pliers final and to be first off the line.”

There is now a Nick Liefting First Off The Line trophy to honour this.

Nick’s trophy haul from over the years

Since retiring from competition, he has been “busier than ever” judging and organising events. Most recently he put together and judged the South Island Field Days competition, and the speed fencing competition at Palmerston North.

He was one of three judges at the 2019 world championships, and would have also judged this year had COVID not cancelled it, and is involved in two competitions in the United Kingdom.

He was instrumental in putting together over recent years a competition between the winning New Zealand and UK teams, alternating locations each year. Unfortunately, due to COVID it was cancelled.

A number of years ago he introduced a Fencing Hall of Fame display at the Fieldays with honours boards, photos and mementos.

And if all that wasn’t enough to keep him out of trouble, in 2016 he also published a book on the Golden Pliers competition.

“After Fieldays in 2015 I said to people I’m putting a book together and it’ll be at the Field Days 2016.”

The launch of the Golden Pliers book, 2016 Fieldays

To put the book together he visited all surviving winners and carried out recorded interviews.

There were 14 winners over 45 years and each chapter was a “mini autobiography” of each person.

“It was about the person’s life, how they got there and what they’ve been doing since.”

He had boxes of information he had kept since competing, including score sheets and entry forms.

“I had all the information, and I’m pleased I did.”

The Golden Pliers book was officially launched at the 2016 competition.

“I picked up the first 100 copies the night before Fieldays.”

Nick says fencing today is not the back-breaking job it used to be, with post drivers doing the grunt work. The development of good quality batten guns had also made a huge difference.

“That’s been a big development.”

In the beginning he made all his own tools.

“I’d weld handles on spades from secondhand shops. It’s a really good blade that you want.”

Since then, the quality of products on the market had improved with input from fencing contractors. The style of fencing hasn’t changed a lot, he says. But it has branched out a bit.

"There’s a lot of different styles of fencing because of different types of farming.” Competitions had lifted standards and the quality of fencing throughout the country.

“A lot of the old bad habits are gone and certainly the quality of work has improved.”

There was a lot more interaction between contractors, a lot of which was through FCNZ, which he was instrumental in founding.

“Fencing can be a very lonely job but since FCNZ has got to where it has now, people have a lot of contact. It’s the sharing of ideas. That sort of stuff. The standard throughout the country has lifted.”

The introduction of the Golden Pliers back in 1969 – the first of its kind in the world – meant Kiwis led the world. The standard was now so high at the competition that it was only a spirit level and a measuring tape that could set them apart, he says.

“They look identical, which is really encouraging. In the early years it wasn’t like that, but now it’s so close. People have travelled the world and taken the quality with them.”

Kiwis had influenced the industry in many countries, including the UK and America.

“They’ve taken pride in their work, not just slap it up. They want to do a nice job.”

To be recognised for his contribution with the legacy award was an honour.

“There are probably a lot of people out there actually that deserve it too, but to get recognised for what you do is quite a buzz.”

Written by Rosa Watson

Nick with his Lifetime Legacy Award