He may have come second but Richard Copland was still struggling last week to tally up the $49,600 worth of prizes he won as runner-up in the National Bank Young Farmer contest in Palmerston North.
The 30-year-old Gore-based Rabobank finance manager was particularly pleased to win the $28,000 AGMARDT career development scholarship, which would allow him to travel overseas and study aspects of agriculture.
"You can buy the car, you can buy the bike but you can't buy that trip," he said last week.
Age restrictions meant this was his last attempt at the national final, and having three times finished runner-up at the regional qualifying finals, he said this year he tried a different approach.
He had previously worked on the theory that he should get through the regional contest on natural ability.
His results showed him otherwise, and this year he did some work, spending between 20 and 30 hours preparing for that contest.
Once he was over that obstacle, Mr Copland said he spent between 250 and 300 hours over the next 11 weeks preparing for the nationals.
It was a case of covering all his bases and trying to guess what the organisers might include, and that meant visiting vineyards, beekeepers, a wool store and dairy farm.
"It's just the way it goes. Sometimes it comes out and sometimes it doesn't."
Mr Copland said no curve balls were thrown at him during the contest, rather it was a lack of speed which let him down, especially on the practical sessions.
"There wasn't anything I couldn't do, but the fact is I needed to do it quicker."
His strength in finance, mediation and marketing innovation came through with high scores.
"It's stuff I do every day."
Winning the contest was a case of scoring consistently, not necessarily winning every section.
Born and bred in Gore, Mr Copland was in partnership with his parents in a 240ha sheep and deer farm between Pukerau and Waikoikoi.
He also has shares in a dairy farm.
He graduated bachelor of agricultural science with honours from Lincoln University and, on graduating, joined PGG Wrightson in Dunedin as a consultant.
He worked there for six years and two years ago he joined Rabobank in Gore.
Looking ahead, Mr Copland said other than immediately trying to catch up on sleep, his focus was on how to use the AGMARDT scholarship and help Gore host the Young Farmer contest next year.
One day, he intended to go farming, but there was plenty to do beforehand.
South Canterbury dairy farmer Tim O'Sullivan won this year's event.