Fun and teamwork combine in two new Expo challenges

Veteran dog triallist and highly respected trainer Guy Peacock will give an insight into how to get the very best from your four-legged partner at the East Coast Farming Expo in February. Picture by Rebecca Williams Photography

A serious message will be behind two new East Coast Farming Expo initiatives when the event is staged in Wairoa in the New Year.

The Rural News Cadet Challenge and the Beef+Lamb NZ Station Challenge may have plenty of fun involved but Expo organiser Sue Wilson said it’s all about teamwork, and that’s crucial on any farm.

The Expo, a two-day mid-week gathering, on February 21-22, will be held at the Wairoa Racecourse this coming year, and includes exhibits, outdoor demonstrations and seminars aimed at sheep and beef farmers.

“Both challenges demonstrate how advantageous it is when teams work well together,” Mrs Wilson said.

The Cadet Challenge is open to cadets from the various training farms around the region and ag students from high schools.

“It’s a “rustic MasterChef” style challenge that will see each team bone a joint of meat, cook it and plate it for a panel of judges.”

For long-term Expo sponsor Rural News the event is all about the future of farming.

“Rural News has always been keen to back initiatives to bring more young people into the industry,” said general manager Adam Fricker on their sponsorship of the Cadet Challenge.

“We’ve taken teachers on farm careers days, published ag-career resource handbooks, and sponsored various young farmer/grower awards.

“The Cadet Challenge is a fun way to continue that. It will help cadets to build connections across the sector and test themselves,” he said.

The Station Challenge focuses on weighing and crutching sheep and gets judged on time and style.

“Farming isn’t just about the physical work,” Mrs Wilson said.

“Maths and the ability to use technology is required as well. It is important to encourage the next generation of farmers in as many ways as possible.”

Beef+Lamb senior extension manager Mark Harris looks forward to the new station challenge.

“We have supported the Expo since the beginning as this is an event that brings a great range of high calibre seminar topics, exhibits and activities that are usually only associated with the larger field days to our rural community on the East Coast,” he said.

Mrs Wilson hopes farm owners and managers will be inspired to bring their whole teams along to the Expo.

“Many of the younger shepherds’ and shepherdesses’ experience so far has been more hands-on farm work, and the Expo is a chance to introduce them to so many other aspects of farming. All farmers should think of it as a team-building day working on your business.”

The working dog demonstration from the highly regarded trainer and triallist Guy Peacock will also be hugely beneficial to many and is running over both days of the Expo.

“Shepherds and Shepherdesses love their dogs and will benefit from a training demonstration planned for both days of the Expo,” said Mrs Wilson.

“Guy will demonstrate techniques to help people get the best from their huntaways or heading dogs.”

Mr Peacock said effective dog training was all about good processes.

“The key is to focus on getting those right rather than being results-oriented, and is the way to increase training success.”