Rising star Jagger takes home development award

Whangarei's Ben Jagger has been selected as a future star of rallying by the sport's national body.
And it's not just all talk - he will be given a prize package worth more than $50,000 to spend in the 2010 Rally New Zealand competition.
Jagger, 20, edged ahead of two high calibre finalists in his division, Auckland's Patrick Malley and Nelson's Ben Hunt, to win the inaugural Rising Stars development award, rounding off a meritorious year.

 As a part of winning the national two-wheel drive title in September, Jagger won the chance to contest the International Ford Fiesta Trophy Shoot-out against 16 other drivers from around the world. He flies to the United Kingdom next Monday to contest the shoot-out.
The winner will take one year's employment with M-Sport who run the two BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Championship cars, as well as conducting various duties within the team.
If Jagger continues his recent winning form, he will face big decisions about his plans for next season, as he will be UK-based.
However, he remains hopeful that he will still be able to compete in next year's New Zealand Rally Championship.

Jagger will receive a professional mentoring and funding package worth more than $50,000 to step up to the Group N 4WD category in next year's NZRC.
He is hoping to finalise a deal soon on purchasing a Mitsubishi Evo 9 four-wheel drive car for next season and has aspirations on competing in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

 Jagger was still buzzing yesterday after hearing the news that he had been picked ahead of two-wheel drive competitors Hunt and Malley on Sunday.
"I was a bit shocked when they announced my name, I couldn't believe it," he said.
"This is great, I have never won anything this big before ... I'm absolutely ecstatic."
During an intense two-day shootout held at Rally Drive New Zealand's Maramarua Forest headquarters, the three categories of drivers - totaling 15 finalists in total - were assessed on their physical fitness, their ability to interact with media professionally and to attract sponsors, and the likelihood of achieving their long-term career aspirations.
The contestants were also tested on their abilities behind the wheel on a closed gravel road.
He did well in the fitness test but had felt nervous after some of the other tasks set by the judges.
"The panel interview went really well but the sponsorship [mock] presentation didn't go quite as I had planned but they pointed out some good ideas to me about how to approach people in the future," he said.
"I got to the end of the weekend and wasn't sure whether I had done enough but I guess they saw something there that they wanted," Jagger concluded.
Former Northlander Stephen Barker, who now lives in Hamilton, and Geraldine's Hayden Paddon  won their  divisions of the Rally New Zealand Rising Stars awards development programme.