A Fieldays love story

through four days of competition including everything from wood chopping to cheerleading and using an excavator to pour tea.

‘‘It was a pretty intense environment, living in the same house with seven other guys you don’t know, competing all day, having functions every night, and not sleeping much before waking up early to compete again,’’ Short said.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Ryley

On the final day of Fieldays, Short was was awarded the title of 2009 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year and the coveted Golden Gumboot.

After winning the title, Short told reporters he had no idea what his ideal woman would be like and would ‘‘just have to wait until I meet the one’’. He returned to Feilding, not realising he’d already met her.

A year later, the two met again at the 2010 Fieldays event. As reigning Golden Gumboot champion, Short, still a bachelor, was invited back to judge the Rural Bachelor competition.

McGougan, who was recently single, was still working for Mystery Creek co-ordinating events. On the first morning of Fieldays she was stationed at a busy ticket booth when Short arrived, and asked to see the event manager. He looked different from the year before.

‘‘I’d had a year away, a haircut, spruced myself up a bit,’’ he admitted. ‘‘We always say it was love at first sight… after a haircut,’’ McGougan laughed.

Over the four day event the two enjoyed getting to know each other. Four years later on a sunny March day, the two were married at McGougan’s parents’ dairy farm in Gordonton.

Today the Shorts, as they are now, farm west of Feilding on a 105 hectare, 200-cow dairy farm.