East Coast FMG Junior Young Farmer
Aduo from Napier Boys' High School have taken out the title for East Coast FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year. Year 12 students Guy Von Dadelszen and Tristan PeetiWebber, topped the points table.
The contest for high school students in Teen Ag Clubs was held at the Central Hawke's Bay A&P Showgrounds in Waipukurau on Saturday, running alongside the East Coast FMG Young Farmer of the Yea Regional Finals.
Runner-up FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year was awarded to Thomas Fountaine and Jock Bourke from Rathkeale College.
Both teams have been invited to compete at the Grand Final in Christchurch in July which runs alongside the FMG YFOTY Grand Final.
Third place was taken out by another team from Napier Boys' High School, made up of Ryan Redpath and Kieran McKenzie.
For the contest, the pairs tackled eight theoretical and practical modules hosted by sponsors before the top five teams went into “the face off” – a famous YFOTY buzzer-styled quiz.
Modules in the past have included animal anatomy, fencing, meat cut I.D, gun safety, equine, agronomy, feed budgeting, chainsaw assembly and more.
For 16-year-old Guy Von Dadelszen, it will be his second shot at the national title after coming second place at the 2019 Grand Final.
“Hopefully we'll go alright in the practical modules with some
Hanson products or fencing, things like that so we're hoping they're in the Grand Final,” Guy said.
The pair found a module hosted by New Holland the hardest.
Tristan has also competed three years ago and said the pair will start studying and brushing up on their knowledge to prepare for Grand Final.
“Hopefully our teacher Rex Newman will also get us down to work so we'll do some stuff there as well,” Guy said.
Teen Ag Clubs aim to introduce teenagers to the agriculture, food and fibre sector – from farming and growing, to fishing and horticulture and everything else in between.
The AgriKids competition for primary school aged children also ran alongside the teenage and senior contests.
A trio from Kumeroa School were crowned the winners, made up by Alex McLeod, William Allomes and Sam Cresswell.
Second place was awarded to
the Tiko Top Dogs from Tikokino School — Abbey Strang, Chalkie Williams and Millie Butler.
The Farmyard Chickens from Ruahine School came in third, made up by Ollie Bowie, Philip Barrow and Jayden McNaughton.
The top three teams have all been invited to the Grand Final in Christchurch in July where they will compete against 21 other teams from across the country.
At the East Coast Regional Final, the AgriKids teams completed a series of modules hosted by sponsors.
From there the top seven teams went head to head in “The Race Off”, undertaking a sequence of tasks in a time and points challenge.
Gumboot throwing, fencing, driving karts, sack racing and fitting chains on motorbikes are just some of the practical activities the teams have had to tackle in previous years.
Theoretical modules surrounding livestock breeding and genetics, farm safety and healthy soil have also been challenges for children to wrap their brains around.
1 — Von D & Triddy, Napier Boys’ High School — Guy Von Dadelszen and Tristan Peeti-Webber
2 — Rathkeale 3, Rathkeale College — Thomas Fountaine and Jock Bourke
3 — Gizzy Hill Billies, Napier Boys’ High School — Ryan Redpath and Kieran McKenzie
FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year Competitor of the Day — Anna Swanson 1 — Alex McLeod, William Allomes and Sam Cresswell, Kumeroa School,
2 — Tiko Top Dogs, Tikokino School
— Abbey Strang, Chalkie Williams and Millie Butler.
3 — The Farmyard Chickens, Ruahine School — Ollie Bowie,
Philip Barrow and Jayden McNaughton.
AgriKids Competitor of the Day — Logan Von Dadelszen