After cheese and fencing, bachelors face female test

Competitor Tom Biesly of Gordonton tastes his haloumi. Photo / Christine Cornege

After three days of gallivanting around the North Island and showing off their fencing, oratory, cheesemaking and bovine skills, it's hard to know who's leading to become Fieldays' latest rural bachelor of the year.

But Taranaki dairy farmer Simon Washer is pretty sure it's a two-man race.

"There's obviously a bit of rivalry between Sam [Trethewey] and myself ... when it comes down to it, it's between us," said the 25-year-old from Otakeho.

Mr Washer was pleased with the haloumi he made during the cheesemaking challenge after he thought he had finished second to Mr Trethewey, who is from Victoria, in the fencing competition.

The rural bachelors will all be matched up with dates tonight, which will be Mr Washer's first outing with a female in about a year.

"It's hard to say if I'll get a Mrs Washer out of this," he said.

Mr Trethewey goaded his Kiwi opponents yesterday after a masterful display in the fencing competition.

"Aussies smashing Kiwis was a modest way of saying I smashed the lot," he said on his Facebook page, which has 334 likes.

Cambridge farmer Tom Biesley, 28, said Mr Trethewey could back up his talk and was a real adversary.

The rural bachelor of the year wins more than $20,000 in prizes. James Ihaka