Young judges to show off skills at Royal Show

Budding show judges being put through their paces at a judging school held at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds last month, ahead of the Young Judges Competition which will be held at the Royal New Zealand Show in Hastings on October 21-23. Photo / Supplied

The Royal New Zealand Show in Hastings in two weeks' time will showcase some of New Zealand's leading young stockmen and and women in the Royal Agricultural Society's Young Judges Competition.

The winner of the competition at the October 21-23 show will represent New Zealand in Australia.

A trans-Tasman contest will also be held at the Royal Show in Hastings next year.

Royal Agricultural Society initiative to engage youth in the art and science of judging Show animals, the competition is strongly supported with representatives from the major A&P Show districts throughout New Zealand.

There has been considerable Hawke's Bay success in the event, notably with Northern Hawke's Bay farmers daughter Nancy Crawshaw who won the New Zealand Young Judges Competition at the 2013 Hawke's Bay Show and last year, at the age of 18, won the Australasian Stud Beef Cattle young judges competition at the Royal Queensland Show in Brisbane.

Contestants will spend the day competitively judging beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and woollen fleeces under the watchful eye of some of the Country's leading judges in their fields.

Realising the future of Showing competitions and the A&P movement lies in engaging youth participation has been a passion for Royal Agricultural Society vice-president Geoff Smith, a South Auckland based professional with a competitive interest in show horses believed so strongly he put his money where his mouth is and underwrote the 2015 competition.

While it's the premier youth event at the Royal Show, recent years have seen a blossoming of youth competition of the rural kind. Hawke's Bay will be also hosting the RAS National Dairy Young Handler Competition, Lead Beef Steer classes and a Secondary School shearing competition.

At the beginning though there is always a mentor or organisation providing the opportunity in a safe and encouraging environment to "get into the ring," a mantle carried now by Wairarapa's Lauren McWilliams, who is now with Beef + Lamb NZ.

A preliminary event held at the showgrounds last month, attracted more than 20 aspiring Teen Ag'ers for a day-long judging school.

The Young Judges competition is just one of the many events being held in the competitions arenas of the Hawke's Bay Show, which last held Royal Show status in 2003. At least 30,000 people are expected during the show, which starts on a Wednesday and ends on the Hawke's Bay Anniversary public holiday entering Labour Weekend.