Aspiring AgriKids hopeful following in fathers footsteps

Blue Mountain College AgriKids team (from left) Liz Lamb, Hannah Reid and Peter Miller, and past Young Farmer of the Year champion and Hannah's father, Phillip Reid, give a thumbs-up to a successful day of competition at the AgriKids grand final in Donovan Park in Invercargill yesterday. Photo: Nicole Sharp

Aspiring young farmer Hannah Reid is following in her father's footsteps.

The West Otago local, flanked by father Phillip Reid, was trudging round a muddy Donovan Park in Invercargill yesterday competing in the AgriKids grand final.

Representing Blue Mountain College, Hannah (12) and team-mates Liz Lamb and Peter Miller (both 12) were the first Blue Mountain College team to compete in the AgriKids final in 10 years.

At the same time, it was more than 20 years since Mr Reid had been at a Young Farmers competition — the last time was when he won the prestigious farming event back in 1996.

The family now farm at Benio, between Gore and Tapanui.

Mr Reid was Hannah's right hand man at the competition, although the Young Farmer of the Year contest had changed a bit from his day.

In 1996, it was one of the first years Agrisports had featured as part of the grand final, and visiting the 2018 event it was obvious it had continued to evolve, Mr Reid said.

"They didn't have the farmlet stuff and there wasn't a research project and that stuff they do now."

While AgriKids did not exist then, it was the perfect addition, as it was a fantastic pathway for the next generation of young farmers, Mr Reid said.

"It's really great, it gives them a look into what's involved in it."

The Blue Mountain College AgriKids team — the Blue Mountain Farmers — started out putting a team in the local West Otago A&P Show competition, which they won.

From here the trio thought they would give the real deal a go, and Mr Reid made some calls and entered the team in the regional competition in Browns in April.

Finishing in second place, they qualified for the grand final and had been putting in the hard yards leading up to the event.

Battling the rain, and 20 other AgriKids teams, the Blue Mountain Farmers had enjoyed the day, they said.

"It's all about team work."

The next step for the group would be the school's own TeenAg club.

Hannah and Peter both want to be farmers, so were hoping to progress to the next generation of Young Farmers.