World's top female shepherd

A former Stratford High School student has this month been judged the best female competitor overall in the Young Shepherd's Challenge in France.

Katey Craig, who is the junior shepherd at Otiwhiti Station, near Hunterville, competed in the south-central region of Auvergne from September 30 to October 1. She was a last-minute addition to the trip, replacing Alex Reekers who was not eligible to compete, leaving his space open for Katey who had come third in the New Zealand competition.

The international competition saw Katey and her team-mate Mitchel Hoare, a senior cadet at Waipoa Station near Gisborne, compete as a team against young shepherds from 15 other countries - Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Scotland, United States, Uruguay and Wales.

As well as being named best female competitor overall, Katey was also the second-best shearer aged under 22, and was placed sixth overall in the under-22 age group.

"Sheep farming is an essential industry in New Zealand and a big part of our national economy," says Katey who describes the trip as having been "an awesome opportunity".

Katey is now travelling round Europe for a few weeks, before returning to her work at Otiwhiti Station as a junior shepherd, and continuing her study towards completing her Diploma Agriculture.

Mitchel was ranked best in the under-22 age group, and says that the competition is "a great opportunity for me to meet the next generation of farmers from other parts of the world, as well as a good test of my own knowledge and skills".

The inaugural World Young Shepherds Challenge was held in New Zealand in 2011. Peter Klaasen, of New Zealand, at that point a student at Lincoln University, won the competition, and was named World Young Shepherd.