A FAST-PACED series of agricultural challenges dazzled an enthusiastic crowd at the Adelaide Showground, as the industry’s youth competed in the state and national finals of the Young Farmers Challenge.
In the state final, the Northern team from Eudunda claimed victory, winning $1500 from the Australian Wool Network.
Liam Sander, Mark and Tara Schutz, and Andrew Saegenschnitter showed outstanding teamwork, calmness under pressure, and iron stomachs during the iced coffee scull, to earn the right to compete in next year’s national final at the Royal Melbourne Show.
The teams, who earned the right to compete in Adelaide at various country shows, had to answer a number of agricultural-based questions before the event to determine a handicap.
Apple bobbing was the first event, before teams moved onto the wool challenge where they had to set up and pack up a wool table, throw a fleece and roll a wool bale.
The young farmers had to secure a hay bale to a tractor during the next challenge, before building an electric fence and ensuring it was live.
Teams got wet as they set up an irrigation sprinkler system, before they coupled fittings to a pump, hastily pulled on fire fighting equipment and extinguished a blazing scarecrow.
The adrenaline kicked in as a farmer from each team jumped into an Isuzu ute for a hair-raising hot lap.
Teams assembled at the tractors and had to guzzle a 500-millimetre iced coffee in the final leg, with the Eudunda team holding their nerve to emerge victorious.
Young farmer challenge coordinator Andrew Hall, Manoora, said the main aim of the event was to keep young people involved with country shows.
“It’s just another event country shows can run at their shows without having to go too far afield with spending money,” he said.
“Local businesses are keen to get on board, give them vouchers and prizes to give the teams something to aspire to.”
Mr Hall said a lot of equipment used during the challenges, which have the backing of the SA Next Generation Group and Agricultural Societies Council of SA, was easy to source.
He said the fun Adelaide challenge would help promote agriculture, rural people and encourage people to visit country shows.
Fellow challenge coordinator and compere Samuel Martin, Walcha, NSW, said the national competition also provided a great networking opportunity for young people.
Teams from Vic, Qld and NSW travelled to Adelaide to compete in the national final and Mr Hall said the NextGen group hoped to get WA and Tas involved next year.
In front of a vocal home crowd, SA got off to a flying start in the National Young Farmers Challenge Final, but the Vic outfit swamped the field to claim bragging rights.
It was the first time the national event was held at Adelaide and the Eyre Peninsula team of Sarah Owen, Hayley Dorward, Sarah Hurrell and Sam Telfer set up a wool table in record time, flew through a tractor challenge and had no troubles putting up an electric fence, but assembling an irrigation system proved to be their downfall.
Vic trailed Qld entering the penultimate challenge – the Isuzu ute hot lap – before showing superior iced coffee sculling skills to finish first.
The Wangaratta team of Tuppy and Ellen Forge, Andy Foots and Bryce Tresidder were awarded $1500 in prizemoney.
