Second place win bittersweet for Central Hawke's Bay young farmer

Hamish Best, of Central Hawke's Bay, wrangles drainage equipment for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.

CHB's Hamish Best finished runner-up in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition.
Mr Best said after three days of gruelling competition, being runner-up was a bittersweet experience - he was pleased to be placed so well and sad to be so close to winning.

The PGG Wrightson technical field representative, who owns a finishing/cropping farm in Central Hawke's Bay with wife Hannah, said preparation for the Manawatu final was intensive.

"I took a couple of weeks off to focus fully on the contest, but you have to give credit to the winner Nigel," he said.

Milton sheep and beef farmer Nigel Woodhead won the prestigious title, the first Otago entrant to win in the competition's 49-year history.

"Nigel and I both put in a serious amount of preparation. I didn't quite win and I have a lot of respect for Nigel, for how much work he has put in to win."

Mr Best won two out of three technical components and won the Meridian Energy Agri-knowledge Quiz and Speech challenge but was outperformed in "hand-on construction".
He was second in the East Coast final last year, winning the event to make it through to the grand final this year.

The agricultural science honours graduate said it was a coincidence he was the former flatmate of two other finalists, James Lawn and Richard French.

Mr Best has no plans to compete next year, despite it being a "fantastic experience".
"I'll probably take a rest from contests for a couple of years. It takes up a lot of your time and mental energy - you can't just turn up on the day and hope things go your way. You have to really prepare.

"We knew it was going to be a massive challenge but its intensity and the pressure you go through is something you can't really describe until you have gone through it."

Mr Best had not tallied the value of his prize package but said it was "considerable".