rivettingKateTaylor

The search is on again for the next person able to call themselves the “Young Farmer of the Year”.

Or, as also known these days, The National Bank Young Farmer Contest Champion.

Two regional finals have been and gone, with Woodville sheep and beef farmer Angus Brown and Whangarei beef farmer James Donaldson the first two names in the hat for the Grand Final in Gore in July.

Angus has been in seven region finals but always came up against runners-up Paul McGill and Kynan Thomsen and 2007 winner Callum Thomsen.  This time he has done it.

James battled a serious case of the flu to compete in Dargaville at the weekend. He was disappointed with his practicals (saying his head just wasn’t in the right space) but managed to nail enough questions in the evening session when it counted. He won by 30 points. He says he’d like to get a win for Northern (it would be their first).

The good news for Northern is that there appears to be some real talent emerging that will hopefully mean Northern will have a few decent cracks at the title in years to come.

Waikato/Bay of PLenty is this weekend, then Taranaki Manawatu (TaraMan for short, but I think ManaNaki would be a laugh 🙂 )  followed by the three South Island regions of Otago/Southland, Aorangi and Tasman.

For now, I better go and write in the profiles for T/M. AT a quick glance, there are a few new names and a few I recognise, including last year’s grand finalist Chris Will. Watch this space!