Third Grand Finalist named in 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest

Posted by on 16 March 2015 | Comments

THIRD ANZ YOUNG FARMER CONTEST GRAND FINALIST NAMED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16-03-2015

James Hoban is the third Grand Finalist to be named in the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

The twenty-nine year old took first place at the Tasman Regional Final in Kirwee on Saturday 14 March after a very close and tense Evening Show.

Mr Hoban went home with a prize pack worth over $10,000 including cash, scholarships and products and services from ANZ, FMG, Lincoln University, Ravensdown, AGMARDT, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, Husqvarna and Vodafone.

James will be juggling training and studying for his first Grand Final with his three day jobs – free-lance journalist for Country-Wide, part time sheep farmer and working as a Farm Environment Consultant. For what spare time he does have James enjoys cricket, showing Corriedale sheep, restoring vintage machinery as well as spending time with his wife and two children. James also took out top honours in the Lincoln University Agri-Growth Challenge.

Mr Hoban is off to the Grand Final in Taupo, 2 – 4 July where he will battle it out for the Champion’s title and more than $270,000 in prizes.

The Tasman Regional Final was held at the Kirwee Showgrounds where a knowledgeable crowd watched the strong group of eight contestants display the best of their farming knowledge and skill. The contestants were put through their paces in a variety of challenging modules, from dairy goat milking to engineering, touching on all aspects of farming from practical, hands-on tasks to theory and business components.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Second place went to 27 year old sheep and beef farmer, Andrew Wiffen, of the Renwick Young Farmers Club. He took home $2,900 worth of prizes. He also took out top prize in the AGMARDT Agri-Business Challenge.

Third place went to lower order share milker Karl Dean (25) and fourth place went to Robin Hornblow (27), both from the Dunsandel Young Farmers Club.

The Ravensdown Agri-Skills Challenge was won by Willis Ritchie (25) and the crowd-pleasing Silver Fern Farms Agri-Sports Challenge was won by Karl Dean.

The 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest features 7 Regional Finals culminating in the Grand Final. 

Alongside the ANZ Young Farmer Contest Practical Day events New Zealand’s future farmers were in competition too in TeenAg and AgriKids competitions.

The TeenAg competition was taken out by team ‘Geordie and Richard’ from Christchurch Boys High School. Second place went to team ‘Jack and Luke’ from St Andrews College and third place was taken by team ‘Jack S and Jack T’ also from St Andrews College.

 

The AgriKids competition was won by “Peninsula Possum Pals’ from Tai Tapu School. Second place went to the ‘Karetu Kids’ from North Loburn School and ‘A ram and two ewes’ also from North Loburn School.

 

For more information visit www.youngfarmers.co.nz

 

ENDS

 

Or contact:
Olivia Sanders
New Zealand Young Farmers National Communications Coordinator
021 214 0703
olivia.sanders@youngfarmers.co.nz