Fencing finalists head to nationals
The fencing skills of two Franklin Young Farmers members will be put to the test in Invercargill.
Lisa Kendall and Daniel Morgan won the NZ Young Farmers Northern Region Fencing Competition on Saturday. The fast-paced event was held at Ruatangata, northwest of Whangarei.
‘‘We’re both quite competitive, but we didn’t really expect to win. We just went up to have a go,’’ Kendall said.
The win means that the pair has qualified for the national final in Invercargill in July.
‘‘I was hoping to relax at Grand Final this year and to be able to watch it, but now it will be a bit more serious,’’ said the 26-year-old.
Kendall represented the sprawling Northern Region in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final last year in Feilding.
She runs her own business doing agricultural work, such as drenching and maintenance.
The pair both hold senior leadership roles within Franklin Young Farmers. Morgan is the chair and Kendall is the vice-chair.
Morgan is a Patumahoe-based plastic welder and is looking forward to the trip south.
‘‘It’s going to be awesome fun competing in front of a crowd,’’ said the 28-yearold.
‘‘I’ve never been a competitor at grand final before, only a spectator, so it’ll be interesting being on the other side of the fence.’’
The national fencing finals is being held in conjunction with the 50th FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.