NZ Rural Sports Awards finalists announced

Sacha Bond is a finalist for the New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year award.

The Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards 2024 finalists have been unveiled.

The awards are to take place at the Awapuni Racing Centre on Friday, March 8 during the weekend of the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games.

The event is a celebration of the indomitable spirit and excellence present within the rural sports community, Ford NZ managing director Simon Rutherford said.

He said the awards provided a platform to recognise the talent and dedication of athletes who embodied “the true essence of rural New Zealand”.

“These finalists represent the pinnacle of excellence in their respective sports, embodying the values of dedication, perseverance and sportsmanship that define rural New Zealand.”

The event will also feature the presentation of two additional awards.

These are the Future Post Rural Sportsperson with a Disability, and the Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award for Outstanding Sportsperson from a Rural Background, supported by Higgins Concrete.

Moreover, judges will select one overall winner to receive the prestigious Ford Supreme New Zealand Rural Sportsperson Award.

NZ Rural Sports Awards 2024: Finalists

The PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year Award

• Bob Merhtens, 69 years old of Timaru – Ploughing
• Jack Jordan, 27 years old of Taumarunui – Timbersports
• Neil Evans, 65 years old of Ōmihi, North Canterbury – Sheepdog Trials

Read more farming and rural stories on The Country.

The RX Plastics New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year Award

• Samantha Ottley, 32 years old from Christchurch – Harness Racing
• Sacha Bond, 30 years old from Piopio in the King Country – Shearing Sports
• Anne Patterson, 32 years old and an ex-pat from Blackbutt, Queensland – Timbersports

The Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year Award

• Clay Harris, 21 years old from Mokauiti in the King Country – Shearing Sports
• Wilson House, 19 years old from Christchurch, formerly Manawatū – Harness Racing

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview the founder and trustee of the NZ Rural Sports Awards, Steve Hollander, on The Country below.

The Freebairn & Hehir Lawyers Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand Rural Sports Award

• Nigel Armstrong of Christchurch – Harness Racing
• Bronwyn Troon of Taihape – Gumboot Throwing
• Erana Stevens-Tulip of Te Kūiti – Shearing

Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy Award

• Pat Hellier from Kamo, but living in Papamoa – Highland Games
• Wayne Newdick from Taumarunui – Fencing