When Hamish Duff of Dannevirke was awarded Tararua Shepherd of the Year out at Tautane Station's open day on April 28, he had overcome more obstacles than most to get to that coveted position.
Leaving Dannevirke High School in December 2009, he headed off to Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm with the dream to become a sheep and beef farmer.
Two years later he graduated with very good reports and then tragedy struck. He suffered severe injuries in a major car accident when he, as the sole occupant of his vehicle, fell asleep at the wheel.
Hamish Duff impressed the judges with his technical knowledge around animal health, pasture covers, and target feeding levels . . .
It took eight months of painful recovery to start getting his life back together, helped by his family and partner. Upon release initially he tried docking but found it was too soon to put his body through that kind of physical stress and wound up working for PGG Wrightson's in its Dannevirke shop.
Apart from allowing his body time to recover, his two years there had an added bonus because he learnt a lot about farm business and agricultural products. This has served him well as he resumed the outdoor life on farms and in the Shepherd of the Year interview.
His first farming position was on Kiora Station in the Waitahora Valley where he worked on the 540 hectares helping with the lamb finishing operation and the raising of thoroughbred horses. Again he felt he learned a lot which helped with the competition.
Just under a year ago when the station was sold he moved to Glen Elgin Farm out at Mangahei. There he works for Jeremy and Apriel Davies as a shepherd responsible for stock shifts and maintenance on one of its blocks.
The farm is a 700 hectare intensive sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit running Hildreth Romney sheep and Hereford/Friesian cows which are crossed with a Simmental bull.
Hamish enjoys this operation on very good sheep/beef country, living with his partner Jenna who works three days a week in Palmerston North designing kitchens and son Carter, 3.
To compete in the Shepherd of the Year Hamish has to submit a CV and fill out an application form detailing his goals and experience. He then participated in an on-farm interview with judges Jed Murphy and Damian Reynolds, touring the property and explaining aspects of its operation.
That wasn't until April 28 when Claire and Matt Smith of Tautane held their open day as the result of receiving the Sheep and Beef Farm Business of the Year Award. Hamish was thrilled to win against four other strong candidates, especially as his dad Wilson had come out to the event.
The judges said: "Hamish Duff impressed the judges with his technical knowledge around animal health, pasture covers, and target feeding levels. Hamish was able to share a lot of detailed information about mob sizes, current live-weights, rotation lengths and had a clear view of what these details would look like in six months time.
Hamish also impressed with the calm and quiet manner in which he and his dogs worked with stock."
Hamish won nearly $5000 worth of prizes as follows:
* Sponsors' Products - Taratahi - $750 - handpiece,
* Primary ITO - $500 training,
* MCI and Associates - $500 of service,
* Dorrington Poole - $500 of service,
* PGG Wrightsons - $100 vest.
With $2500 in cash as well, the total prize reached $4850. Some of the cash Hamish is putting to the Primary ITO prize so he can do a Level Five Diploma.