Georgie Lindsay. Photo / Supplied
Georgie Lindsay says her Ag Science (Hons) degree from Lincoln University came in handy, when trying to answer some tricky quiz questions in the Young Farmers Tasman regional final.
The North Canterbury shepherd told The Country's Jamie Mackay "I'm just glad that most of my Lincoln stuff was still fresh in my brain."
Lindsay, 23, made history after qualifying for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
She won the fiercely contested Tasman regional final in Culverden on Saturday, beating seven other contestants.
Lindsay admitted to Mackay that she didn't have a plan of attack for the Grand Final yet, but she made a few important contacts on Saturday night.
"I'm just going to feed off all those contacts and talk to as many people as I can and then sit down and make a plan."
Listen to the full interview below:
Lindsay is the first woman from the sprawling region to make it through to the grand final in the contest's 51-year history.
"It's a big shock," she said, after making her way to the stage through a cheering crowd.
"I've had a lot of support in the lead-up to this event, especially from my family and my employers."
"My support crew would be too large to fit on stage with me," she told contest host Te Radar.
The event saw finalists from Golden Bay, Westport and across Canterbury tackle a series of gruelling modules, including a fast-paced agri-knowledge quiz.
It was Lindsay's first time competing in a regional final.
"It was definitely a challenging competition that put us all under a lot of pressure, which was awesome," she said.
The contest has undergone a major overhaul since marking its 50th anniversary in Invercargill last year.
"We're now showcasing all aspects of what it means to be a modern food producer," said Te Radar.
Lindsay's win netted her $12,000 worth of prizes, including an XR150 Honda farm bike.
She also picked up the innovation award.
The Amuri Basin Young Farmers member is a shepherd at Marble Point Station south of Hanmer Springs.
The property is 2400 hectares and runs 3600 ewes and 380 Angus breeding cows, plus heifers.
Lindsay grew up on a sheep, beef and deer farm in Dipton and has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) from Lincoln University.
Jonny Brown, 28, who is an assistant manager on a 1000 cow dairy farm at Rakaia came second.
He was named the most tech-savvy contestant and picked up the prize for outstanding leadership.
Alex Knowles, 26, who's an agri manager for Ravensdown, placed third and won the award for championing environmental best practice.
Lincoln University student Peter O'Connor, 20, from Westport, picked up the award for showcasing food production.
Georgie Lindsay is one of only five women nationally to ever qualify for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final.
This year's grand final is in Hawke's Bay in July.
The Young Farmer of the Year began in 1969 and showcases the country's agri-food sector.
The contest is supported by FMG, Ravensdown, Honda, WorkSafe, Zero Harm Farm, STIHL, Lincoln University, Southfuels, Northfuels, Betacraft and New Holland.
Tasman regional final results:
1st Georgie Lindsay
2nd Jonny Brown
3rd Alex Knowles
Innovation Award: Georgie Lindsay
People Award: Jonny Brown
Food Award: Peter O'Connor
Environment Award: Alex Knowles
Technology Award: Jonny Brown