North Canterbury News: October 28, 2021

RURAL LIFE
North Canterbury News, October 28, 2021
23
Young judges exhibit their skills
By DAVID HILL
Young peopletook centre
stage, as exhibitor only
competitionswereheld at
the RangioraShowgrounds
on Saturday.
Withthe Northern
(Rangiora)A&P Show
cancelleddue to Covid­19for
the secondyear in arow,
junior herdsperson,cattle,
gumboot throwing, alpaca
and donkey competitions
wereheld in separate
bubbles in abid to keep the
showing tradition alive.
Competitorsfrom
Ashburton, Oxford Area
Schooland members of the
RangioraHigh School cattle
showteamlineduptobe
tested on their handlingand
stockjudgingskills,with
RangioraHigh School
principal Karen Stewart
attendingtosupporther
students.
‘‘It’s beengood to get it
going and I’ve enjoyed
watching thekids,’’ organiser
PhilWorthingtonsays.
‘‘It’s amazing the bonds
theyget withtheiranimals.’’
Junior herdsperson
competitionjudgeAmy
Hoogenboom offered some
tipstothe young competitors
and agumboot throwing
competitionwas tossed in for
goodmeasure.
Oxford Area School sisters
Hillary (16) and Elizabeth
(11)Cooper were thesenior
and junior herdsperson
sectionwinners,while
Champions in their field ... Judge Amy Hoogenboom (left) and Rangiora High School principal Karen
Stewart (right) congratulate the junior herdsperson champions including senior class winner Hillary
Cooper (16), junior class winner Elizabeth Cooper (11), both of Oxford Area School, and intermediate
class winner Emily Pye (14), of Rangiora High School.
PHOTO: DAVID HILL
RangioraHighSchool’s
Emily Pye(14) wasthe
intermediatesectionwinner.
After lunch24beefcattle,
entered by breedersfrom
Ashburton, Oxford and
Fernside, wereput through
their paces.
By far the largestsection
was the alpacas, with 122
animalsmustered fromasfar
north as Blenheim andfrom
Dunedin, Waimate and
Fairlie in thesouth.
Dunedincouple Richard
and Wendy Farquhar
claimed supremechampion
surialpaca withParu Nui
Fyfe.
OrganiserMartinBennett
was pleased with theturnout,
withbreeders justhappy to
haveashowafter an
uncertain18months.
‘‘It’sabit differentthis
year, withabit of adifferent
vibe,’’ Mr Bennettsays.
‘‘There’snot many shows
doing anything, so we are
reallygratefulthe Rangiora
A&P was kind enough to
allow us to exhibit.’’
Mr Bennett says asidefrom
the cancellation of A&P
shows,Covid­19 has caused
minimaldisruptionsfor
alpaca breeders,with life on
the farm‘‘just carrying­on’’.
‘‘Wehave seenexportsof
animalstoEurope slow
down, butthat’sprobably
moretodowith Brexit.’’
There werealso15donkeys
entered, whichshow
president Graeme Greensays
is closetothe usual number.
Withhorse competitions
not helddue the challenges
of complying withCovid­19
restrictions,therewas plenty
of roomfor the donkeys.
‘‘It’sprobablythe onlytime
we will be in the top of the
ring,’’ Mr Green says.
‘‘It’sjust abouttrying to
keepitgoingafter we missed
lastyear’s show.’’
Red meat sector seeking new recruits
Anew initiative aimstoprepare young
people for ared meat sector career.
Beef +Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) has
signedafundingagreement with the
Growing Future Farmers Essential Farm
SkillsProgrammetohelp attract and
train more young people in the sector.
The programmeoffers arange of
specialised industry training and
development opportunities across the
country including formal New Zealand
Qualifications Authority (NZQA)
qualifications.
The agreement will give enrolled
learners aboost of $500 each in 2021,
while the programmewill receive a
$25,000 cash injection.
‘‘The futuresuccess of our industry
reliesonattracting talented and
motivated young people and equipping
them with the skills to be successful,’’
BLNZchief executive Sam McIvor says.
‘‘Farmers have told us how important
building the next generation is to them
and emphasised that they wanted us to
focus on initiatives that would build
practical capability behind the farm gate,
so BLNZ is implementing that approach.’’
Growing FutureFarmers chairman
John Jackson says BLNZ’s support is a
significant step in the growth and
development of the programme.
‘‘The success of this initiativeisvery
muchdependent on supportfrom wider
industry participants as it relies on our
farmer trainers who sponsor our students
in the workplace as they learn.
‘‘Currently, we have 45 student trainees
on farms throughoutNew Zealand and
are expecting to start afurther 70 first
year students in February 2022,’’ Mr
Jackson says.
The funding is part of BLNZ’s
investmentinto recruiting,trainingand
retaining peoplefor the red meat sector.
‘‘As well as havingour own initiatives,
BLNZ collaborateswith and provides
funding supportfor other sector
organisations to attract, train and retain
the talent we need to drive the sector
forward,’’ Mr McIvor says.
For more information about BLNZ
recruitment initiativesgotobeeflambnz.
com/people­and­training.
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