Young farmers demonstrate skills

Cameron Smith, of Thornbury Young Farmers. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Andrew Cowie, of Nightcaps Young Farmers.

James Fox, of Thornbury Young Farmers.

Jeremy Hudson, of Teviot Valley Young Farmers.

Hugh Jackson, of Thornbury Young Farmers.

Kurt Knarston, of Nightcaps Young Farmers.

Zac Thomas, of Waitane Young Farmers.

Sam Anderson, of Thornbury Young Farmers.

Twins Zoe and Millar McElrea were crowned the Otago Southland Junior Young Farmers of the Year champions for the third year in a row in Middlemarch on Saturday. The siblings attend Columba College and John McGlashan College respectively.

The Otago Southland AgriKidsNZ winners in Middlemarch on Saturday are (from left) Sierra Bennett, Elly Hurley and Sophie Parris, all of Hauroko Valley Primary School. Their team Three Western Girls has been invited to the grand final in Timaru in July.

Practical tests, quizzes and entertainment came to Middlemarch as part of the annual quest to find the best young farmer to represent Otago and Southland.

A part of the competition had contestants working side-by-side, building a stand for a tank, plumbing a pipe to a trough, and bridging the pipe over a creek.

Hugh Jackson, from the Thornbury club, in Invercargill, will represent Otago and Southland in the national final after seeing off seven other competitors at the Middlemarch event.

He manages a 600-cow herd in Southland.

James Fox and Cameron Smith, both of the Thornbury club, were second and third.

Twins Zoe and Millar McElrea, from Columba and John McGlashan colleges in Dunedin, won the Junior Young Farmer of the Year regional title for the third consecutive year.

Hauroko Valley Primary School pupils Sierra Bennett, Elly Hurley and Sophie Parris, from Clifden, won the AgriKids section.

Southern Rural Life