For the second consecutive year, Maniototo shepherd Kate Campbell (23) has won the Central Otago Stud Merino Breeders junior judging trophy, beating her partner Ben Harmer into second place for the second time.
The competition and educational day was held at Earnscleugh Station where an information session was held before the competition, giving a brief overview of ram selection, the judging process and the basics of breeding values.
The two top place-getters in the competition, open to 18 to 25-year-olds, will represent the region in the New Zealand final, which will be held at the Wanaka A&P Show next month.
Miss Campbell said it was "pretty cool" to repeat last year’s win. Asked if there was any rivalry with her partner, she laughed "oh yeah, I think he was a bit ticked off".
Originally from Canterbury, she grew up on a lifestyle property near Oxford. She attended Rangiora High School where agriculture was offered as a subject and she enjoyed studying it.
Growing up surrounded by farms, doing some work dairying and also having some sheep and calves at home — coupled with the fact her uncle had a farm — meant she was always interested in agriculture.
After leaving school, she studied an agriculture degree at Lincoln University; it was a happy experience — "I learned heaps and had a lot of fun on the way", she said. During the practical component of her studies, she worked on Erewhon Station, a property famed for its Clydesdale horses.
She has been at the Paterson family’s Armidale property at Gimmerburn for nearly two years. She said the Patersons were well known for their passion for merino wool and she enjoyed working with the sheep.
Both Simon and Allan Paterson had been very good at teaching her about the stud side of the operation and also wool. She had embarked on a wool course through SIT while she had been there.
With the help of four working dogs, she had a variety of work, including stock work, tractor work and yard work, Miss Campbell said. She did a stud lambing beat and some recording.
This year’s junior judging competition attracted eight entrants and, while she admitted to a few nerves beforehand, "everyone’s in the same boat". She had also done some cattle exhibiting before moving to Armidale which had proven useful.
She was looking forward to the Wanaka Show, particularly given last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19 and she missed out on competing, Miss Campbell said. Armidale also had sheep and fleeces entered at the show.
Miss Campbell and Mr Harmer, who grew up on Castle Ridge Station in Mid Canterbury, were leaving the Maniototo soon, and she would miss the area, saying it had been an "awesome" place to live.
"The community is great — everyone is so friendly," she said.
