The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

AgriKidsNZ Grand Final: Tapanui youngsters lead country for farming skills

By Jono Edwards
Otago Daily Times·
8 Jul, 2019 09:45 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tapanui boys Shamus Young (left, 13) and Flynn Hill (12) carry teammate Archie Chittock (13) on a stretcher as part of the Young Farmers Agrikids event. Photo / Kirsten Simcox

Tapanui boys Shamus Young (left, 13) and Flynn Hill (12) carry teammate Archie Chittock (13) on a stretcher as part of the Young Farmers Agrikids event. Photo / Kirsten Simcox

A young Tapanui trio have shown their farming expertise on the national stage.

Blue Mountain College pupils Shamus Young, Archie Chittock and Flynn Hill were awarded first place at the AgriKidsNZ Grand Final in Hawke's Bay on Saturday night.

The event was part of the New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year competition.

The boys trudged through the mud and rain last week to edge in front of 60 other pupils from around the country.

Archie said it was an "awesome result".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've been doing a lot of study in the lead-up to the final."

Pupils competing in teams of three were tested on their practical and theoretical skills in modules including livestock breeding and genetics, farm safety, fuel storage, healthy soils, an agri-sector quiz and a race-off.

Shamus said his favourite involved checking the sprockets and fitting the chain on to a two-wheeler farm bike.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Flynn said they would not have been able to do it without support from their parents and teachers.

The trio qualified for the national final by placing third in the Otago-Southland regional final in Milton in February.

They met at lunchtime three days a week to improve their skills and knowledge.

Former teacher Kirsten McIntyre, who had been prepping the boys for the final, said they had worked extremely hard.

Discover more

James Robertson named Young Farmer of the Year

06 Jul 11:15 AM

Kiwis dominate final day of World Shearing Champs

08 Jul 01:30 AM

Listen: James Robertson's historic Young Farmer win

08 Jul 01:15 AM

The Country - Young Farmer edition

08 Jul 01:00 AM

"I've been testing them on hundreds of agricultural-related questions."

Auckland-based business graduate James Robertson won the main competition, which was also contested by southern farmers Alan Harvey, of North Otago and Matt McRae, of Mokoreta, in Southland.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure
The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

Rifts among industry groups, charities and agencies in the beekeeping industry.

16 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Luxon on coalition friction
The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

16 Jul 01:42 AM
Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal
The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal

16 Jul 12:37 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP