The best of the Northern and Waikato Bay of Plenty (WaiBop) regions came together recently for an epic showdown of skill, smarts and sportsmanship at the annual Northern vs WaiBop Regional Tournament.

Held at the Pukekohe Showgrounds and Auckland Metropolitan Clay Target Club, the event saw Young Farmers from both regions battle it out in fencing, stock judging, and clay target shooting, with plenty of good vibes, teamwork, and a bit of friendly rivalry.

Fencing: Strength and Strategy

Six teams took to the wire in a hotly contested fencing competition at the Pukekohe Showgrounds, proudly backed by local supporters Farm Source Waiuku, Gallaghers, Brookdale Ltd and Hugh Jackson.

Grand Finalists Hugh and Justin used the event as a prime practice run, but it was Edward Roskam and Charles Wainwright from Piarere Club who took out the win, also claiming Best WaiBop Team.

Fencing Results:

1st: Edward Roskam & Charles Wainwright (Piarere)
2nd: Stephen Brunskill & Cam Clayton (Hamilton City & Morrinsville-Ngarua)
3rd: Hayley Brunskill & Tessa Vincent (Hamilton City)

Best Northern Team: Thomas Wallace & Campbell Jolly (Franklin)

Stock Judging: Keen Eyes on Quality

Fourteen competitors tested their judging skills on purebred Jersey heifers provided by Linda Wood and purebred Suffolk 2-tooth ewes from Annaliese Morgan. Julie Pirie (Dairy) and Chris Elliot (Sheep) stepped in as over judges.

Cam Clayton from Morrinsville-Ngarua impressed across the board, winning both the sheep category and the overall prize, also earning the title of Best WaiBop Competitor.

Stock Judging Results:

1st: Cam Clayton (Morrinsville-Ngarua)
2nd: Joanna Fowlie (Piarere)
3rd: Hayley Brunskill (Hamilton City)

Dairy Winner: Joanna Fowlie (Piarere)
Sheep Winner: Cam Clayton (Morrinsville-Ngarua)
Best Northern: Justin Ruygrok (Franklin)

Clay Shooting: Eyes on the Prize

Thanks to national sponsor Hunting and Fishing NZ, competitors had the chance to show off their shooting skills at the Auckland Metropolitan Clay Target Club.

Thomas Wallace of Franklin Club was unstoppable — not missing a single clay across all rounds and walking away with the top prize and Best Northern shooter title.

Clay Target Results:

1st: Thomas Wallace (Franklin)
2nd: Campbell Jolly (Franklin)
3rd: Luke Holmes (Reporoa)

Best WaiBop: Luke Holmes
Best Northern: Thomas Wallace

Evening Celebrations: Awards & Applause

The day wrapped up with a lively awards night at Longkeeper Bar in Pukekohe, with live music from Red Tonik and plenty to celebrate.

Special recognitions included:
> Tournament Queen: Emma Robinson – for cheering from the sidelines and snapping incredible action shots throughout the day.
>Tournament King: Thomas Wallace – for going above and beyond across fencing, shooting and even helping out in stock judging.
> Best Competitor: Cam Clayton – for standout performances across multiple events.
> Overall Region Points Winner: WaiBop

Huge thanks to our supporters and sponsors who made the day possible, including:
National Sponsor: Hunting and Fishing NZ, Local Supporters: Farm Source Waiuku, 
Gallaghers, Brookdale Ltd, Pukekohe Showgrounds, Auckland Metropolitan Clay Target Club, Greenlea Meats, Hugh Jackson, Julie Pirie, Chris Elliot, Dan Hunt and Linda Wood.

And a big shoutout to Franklin Young Farmers for keeping everyone fuelled with the BBQ!