Young farmers meet and compete in Whanganui

Lachlan Fee and Sean Taylor were the winning pair in a Young Farmers' fencing competition in Whanganui. Photo / supplied

About 50 young farmers got together for an across-the-region catch-up and some friendly competition in Whanganui.

The annual competition happened on December 8, with fencing, stock judging and clay target shooting at Kaimatira Rd and Fordell. It was for members of Young Farmer clubs in the Taranaki/Manawatū region. Winners will compete nationally in Christchurch in February.

The competition is traditional and at a more "grassroots" level than the regional final for the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition. In 2019 that will also happen in Whanganui, on April 6.

"The whole point of the competitions is to just have a go. It's giving people opportunities to try things they have never done before," Marton Young Farmers' Club chairwoman Samantha Tennent said.

The fencing competition was won by Lachlan Fee, a Tangimoana dairy farmer, who was working with Sean Taylor, a dry stock farmer from Kimbolton. The stock judging was won by Eloise Campbell, from the Inglewood Young Farmers' Club.

James Beattie, a Taihape shepherd and member of the Marton club, won the clay target shooting.

It was a good day, Tennent said.

"The best thing I think is just celebrating the success of a voluntary organisation, and spending time together as a bigger group."

After the competitions awards were presented at the Red Lion Inn. The best club was Central Taranaki Young Farmers, and the best chairperson was its chairman, Dylan Brunton.

Massey Young Farmers won the health and safety award and Lachlan Fee won the service award.

"He represents us with professionalism and is a friendly face at any event he attends, always approachable and making people feel welcome," Tennent said.

Fee managed to turn up to almost everything, despite also having a young family and contract milking.

Tennent herself was the co-winner, with Kenzie Bellringer from Inglewood Young Farmers' Club, of the leadership award.

She said being a member of a Young Farmers Club was a sure way to beat rural isolation.

"You have a network of friends across the country, and at least once a month you are going to go to a meeting and catch up with people."