Big comp win finally for Otago

Milton sheep and beef farmer Nigel Woodhead made competition history after winning the FMG Young Farmer of the Year finals in Palmerston North and Feilding, ending Saturday.

The 28-year-old’s win was a first for an Otago entrant in the competition’s 49-year history.

‘‘I watched Young Farmer of the Year when I was a child, so to win it, is a childhood dream that I think will take a long time to sink in,’’ he said. ’’My wife Leanne and I worked really hard, and to win this is incredible.’’

Woodhead, who has a bachelor of agricultural science and worked at Midlands Seed in Ashburton for five years before heading to the family farm, said he and his family would watch the competition every year. His father also competed in the competition at one stage.

The competition was made up of both practical and quiz elements.

Contest chairman Dean Rabbidge said he was thrilled to see an Otago farmer take the title home. ’’History has been made tonight in a proud farming province and we couldn’t be happier,’’ said Rabbidge, a former grand finalist.

East Coast entrant Hamish Best finished second overall, despite winning the agri-business, and knowledge quiz and speech rounds, while Tasman’s Andrew Wiffen was third.

Lisa Kendall from South Auckland, the fourth ever woman to make it to the young farmer finals, won the agri-growth challenge. Manawatu’s James Lawn, a former Massey University student and DairyNZ consultant was unable to get big scores in any categories to shunt himself into contention.

The competition began with 400 contestants, leading up to the final.