Mitchel Hoare has been named Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year. Photo / Supplied
Mitchel Hoare has been named Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year. Photo / Supplied
Waitomo sheep and beef farmer Mitchel Hoare has been named Waikato Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year.
He is adding the title to his belt, along with former World Young Shepherd Champion.
It was the 24 year old's first time competing in FMG Young Farmer of the Year. Hoare is now the second finalist through to Grand Final in Christchurch in July.
BNZ Rural Banker Kieran McHugh from Matamata was named runner up and Hamilton FMG mobile rural consultant, Joshua Rainey, came in third place for the region.
Accepting his win on stage, a tearful Hoare said he was extremely happy and a ball of emotions.
"I'm a mix of excited, relieved and terrified all at once, it feels like the end but really it's only the start, it's overwhelming," he said.
Runner up was BNZ Rural Banker Kieran McHugh. Photo / Supplied
A former Waipaoa Cadet and Lincoln University Alumni, he has walked away with $12,000 in prizes.
"It was a lot harder than I was expecting that's for sure, the time pressure is just insane. You're just constantly in a hurry to finish tasks and then on to the next one, there's no breaks, there's no resting it's just go, go, go all day. It's not until you stop and actually have a moment to breathe that you realise how fatigued and tired you are and how much of a big day it has been," he said.
The practical side of the contest was hosted by Saint Pauls Collegiate on Saturday where the eight regional finalists were put through their paces followed by an evening show.
A series of gruelling challenges, including a written exam, eight intense modules, a practical "head to head" race as well as the famous Young Farmer of the Year buzzer quiz were all based around five strainers - technology, environment, people, food and innovation.
Hamilton FMG mobile rural consultant, Joshua Rainey, came in third place for the region. Photo / Supplied
McHugh took out the top prizes for three strainers - technology, people and innovation - meanwhile Hoare won the strainers for environment and food.
"It's pretty encouraging, it's good to see you know what you're talking about from time to time, it was thoroughly enjoyable," McHugh said.
"The time constraints meant that you were pushing yourself the whole time and there was a really good diversity of questions and thought-provoking ideas. The hardest part was walking away from something that was only 90 per cent done."
Speaking of his performance on the field, Hoare said he didn't feel like he had any disasters but also didn't feel as if he had nailed anything.
"I've never done any welding and knew I should have done it before, and lo and behold the first module I had to do was weld some steel up and it didn't go so well. The nerves got the better of me and I couldn't hold the welding rod still," he laughed.
"The modules were just so challenging and so broad, it was so hard to study for and it really just tests you on every possible level so every contestant had strengths and every contestant had weaknesses."
Winner Mitchel Hoare with his awards. Photo / Supplied
Joshua Rainey said he's stoked to have come third place in his first regional final.
"I think I can relax now, there was a lot of pressure and I got thinking about things a lot, probably a bit too much," he said.
He said he'll definitely be back again next year with a bit of experience under his belt and hopefully improve his placing.
NZ Young Farmers CEO Lynda Coppersmith enjoyed watching the five strainers being put to the test.
Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Mitchel Hoare on The Country below:
"The challenges were hard and fast and really tested each contestant's skills," she said.
"Agriculture and the food and fibres sector is so much more than just building a fence, so to be able to challenge each contestant's thinking, their innovation and knowledge and watch them just completely thrive is incredible."
"It really goes to show how bright the future of farming in New Zealand is, we have so much to look forward to."
"I remember being really young with most of the people I was competing against doing it for their second or third time, from right across Europe, so I went into it not expecting anything, just wanting to have a good time and make the most of the opportunity and then it swung my way".
Standing on that world stage also gave him the confidence to back himself in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.
"That was when I started thinking 'maybe I don't want to just be a farmer, I want to be a good farmer'," he said.
"I don't want to just cruise along, I want to push myself and have a go."
Joshua Rainey, third place (left), Mitchel Hoare, first place and Kieran McHugh, second place. Photo / Supplied
Waikato Bay of Plenty Young Farmer of the Year results
